Spirit of Luna
by F13D
Summary: After stopping Balak, a new adventure begins. Shepard and his team will encounter new friends and enemies as they race to stop the Reaper's cycle of extinction. Will they succeed, or will they fall like the many cycles before them? Mass Effect A/U
1. Chapter 1 - Timeline

Disclaimer: I do not own bioware and/or any work published by them

A/N: this is A/U and will contain some differences compared to the game. Some big, some small

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Official Alliance Timeline.

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1967: U.S launches the first man to the moon and discovers ancient alien ruins maintain by a program called a "VI" with a warning to not rely on technology run by a fuel source called element zero. The ruins also contain blueprints to technology independent of element zero such as thorium based reactors and rail guns.

1968: The news of the discovery is released to the press, however the warning embedded inside is only released to top priority governments and kept as a closely guarded secret. Mankind was astonished and were deeply afraid. With the paranoia of the cold war and the social psyche of extra-terrestrial attack, many called for a massive military buildup, however over time this feeling became less and less extreme. The attitude of Earth was 'its us vs. them.'

1969: After 2 years of development the first-world countries of Earth celebrate the end on the reliance of fossil fuels and thorium is the new fuel source.

1975: The terraforming pod is created by a joint British/American/Japanese effort after extensive research. The project is totaled to cost 3.2 trillion dollars.

1978: Soviet Union creates the first space ship measuring at 112 meters, using information gathered from the data archives. It is plan to land the first settlers on the moon.

1979: NATO creates their own version of a ship measuring at 65 meters, but it contains a VI program to help maintain and run the ship.

1981: A new cold war begins with the majority of the world falling into 1 of 2 camps America's lead NATO or the Soviet Union dominated Warsaw Pact.

1984: British, American, and French scientist create the world's first ever successful worm hole teleportation of an object, in laboratory settings. In theory it should be able to speed up space travel. Already rovers are transported to planets like Mars, which merely take days.

1985: Mining Asteroids, by using rovers, has become the most environmental friendly and most profitable method for nations to keep the arm race going. One Asteroid contains more gold and platinum than Earth.

1987: The U.S creates a ship-mountable rail gun cannon delivering a force of 55 kilotons of fire power. Few months later the Soviet Union unveils it's particle accelerator cannon with a force of 10 kilotons, however it is smaller, requires less power, and gives off less heat

1990: The world's first AI is created by General Atomics. The initial reaction of humanity was fear and protest due to a phobia of a robotic rebellion. However, these feelings were quelled once General Atomics stated and provided information that explained the many safety features in an AI to avoid such a scenario.

1991: The, Soviet Union collapses. All the former Union states become independent, however they maintain close relations with Russia. Their economies are still twined together strongly.

1992: All superpowers of Earth and their colonies on Luna, Venus, Mars, and Europa unite under the Systems Alliance banner and pool all of their military might into one super-military with 128 space-capable vessels, after a strange artifact is found orbiting Pluto. Though this is done for the sake of self-preservation as opposed to mutual trust.

1993: Tampering with the artifact now dubbed "Mass Relay", once information was gathered on the device in the prothean archives, is forbidden following a scientific vessel being destroyed by the Relay. Scientists hypothesis that because we do no use element zero, which the artifact is found to run on, it identifies us or any of our vessels as foreign unknowns.

1996: Probes fueled by element zero are flown to the mass relay and a discovery is made. It is an instantaneous method of FTL drive and leads to many garden worlds. This leads to a new race to claim as many garden worlds or any, able to be terraformed as possible.

1997: The world's fist ever worm hole drive is created. All Alliance vessels are ordered to have one equipped and many have already undergone retrofits to be able to have a worm-hole drive installed.

1998: The systems alliance adopts the Bore Doctrine, which is to use probes to find garden worlds and send back it's coordinates, use remote detonation nuclear mines to guard all known relays, and have at least 60 super rail gun platform cannons firing a 112 kiloton of firepower every 34 seconds. The installation of such defense platforms cause settlers and surveyors to delay travel to new-found worlds by at least 4 years.

2006: The system alliance fleet creates it's first battle cruiser, the SSV Nile measuring at 1 kilometer long and it is the current flagship of the third fleet. It is the first ever vessel to field test a thermo-nuclear reactor as a main engine. The Alliance has been looking for ways to replace the aging Thorium powered engine as it is slow, cost inefficient, and constant maintenance with a better space vessel engine that can operate better in all these categories.

2025: It is now mandatory for all schools to teach basic medical, and survival training at a safe and reasonable standard in each grade. Its more of a boy scouts training than 'military training' as some have put it.

2029: Deeming all AI's as valuable resources, they are only equipped in military and science vessels. VIs are used for civilian purposes.

2057: The System Alliance creates a cloak projector enabling anything within a certain radius invisible. It has only been able to cloak corvette size vessels (55 - 128 m)

2072: Pirates steal several frigate class vessels from a lightly guarded alliance ship-yard and use it to raid shipping freighters, which cause the alliance navy is tested.

2078: Pirates deal a crushing blow to the Alliance navy, destroying 1 battle cruiser, 19 cruisers, and 48 frigates after luring them into a minefield and ambushed them. The pirates suffered minimal casualties with 7 cruisers, 8 destroyers, and 24 frigates lost.

2083: The Alliance deploys a Titan team to an Asteroid dubbed LB-429, where Alliance military officials predict there to be a massive pirate base. After destruction of the Asteroid was successful, the Titans deployed reveal many other pirate bases with the information gathered. The Alliance navy goes on the offensive.

2089: The Alliance launch an all-out assault on the pirate's headquarters. With the pirates finally defeated, new naval tactics and weaponry is created.

2091: The system alliance navy turns to 20th century tactics and create it's first super-carrier measuring at 4.5 km, the same size as a Defender-class dreadnought, and along-side the Shield of Sol dreadnought, leads the 12th fleet

2122: System alliance creates the 14th fleet and is the first ever to only have all of the fleets prowlers, frigates, and some destroyers to be remotely-piloted, though they do require a skeleton crew to maintain the ships.

2148: Shanxi and it's relay is discovered and quickly inhabited. Construction of the nuclear mines and rail-gun platforms begins.

2157: First contact with the Turian Hierarchy and the Batarian Hegemony. Contact with the Turians is friendly, while contact with the Batarians is not. A fight between the Hegemony and the System Alliance starts, as Batarian slavers believed contact with the new race would bring easy slaves. They were repelled and killed. Later that same year the System Alliance makes contact with the Citadel.

2170: Batarians slavers nuke the colony world of Mindoir, prompting the Alliance to construct heavy defenses in the Attican Traverse to repel any slavers.

2176: The Asari colony world Elysium is attacked by Batarian slavers. The attack is repelled thanks to the efforts of Spectres, Titans, and civilians who bravely fought to defend the world. Following the attack, the Asari give the Alliance Elysium for their efforts in repelling the attack and also to avoid criticism. Obviously this was a ploy to have the Alliance take the brunt of the pirate attacks, which they are well aware of.

2177: A Batarian terrorist attack wipes the colony world of Akuze. Only three survivors managed to make it off planet.

2178: The Alliance funds a new mercenary group called the Red Hand to attack Batarian interest in the Terminus systems. Their first mission on Torfan was considered a success.

2183: The start of the Terminus-Citadel war. A batarian named Balak leads a rouge army of Batarians and never before seen versions of the Geth against the joint Citadel army. After two months of fighting, Balak is confirmed killed in the massive assault on Eden Prime and without a leader his rouge army surrenders. The discovery of live Protheans shocked the galaxy as many believed them dead. Liara T'soni is is credited with finding the Protheans and their history. The existence of the Reapers is tightly concealed by the Council to avoid a public panic, however ship production has sky rocketed. In other news the Volus have been granted a Council seat and Ambassador Din Korlack is elected to the position of Councilor for the Volus protectorate.

2184: Fearing the return of the Reapers, the Council begins assembling a team consisting of the deadliest operatives in the galaxy. Prothean General Morak is currently overseeing their training.


	2. Chapter 2 - New faces

12-31-2183 1139 hours (Citadel standard time)

**Undisclosed Location**

Shepard's bones ached and throbbed from the intense workout. He could feel the veins on his knees popping. His spine felt as if it was being crushed and his entire body screamed for rest. His eyelids were heavier than they'd ever been. He looked to his right and saw that Ramirez felt they same way.

When they had arrived two months earlier they were told they would be prepared to fight the greatest threat to the galaxy. Of course many that were gathered in the court-yard thought of the Reapers, others like the huge Krogan that who knows where they got him from seemed as if they just wanted to fight. After the speech given by Morak, the Prothean general he told them to go to their barracks to rest.

And that's how Shepard ended up fighting a Prothean in hand to hand combat and it had only been two hours.

Their primary physical exercise, combat training, and military classes was all personally selected by General Morak. He told the top military officials that in eight months they would go from a rag-tag group of some of the deadliest in the galaxy to the most deadliest team in the galaxy.

"Remember! Each of you is dangerous alone, but together you are deadly." General Morak told them as they started to run and try to capture a flag on General Morak's personal Jaguar. Each time a member would get close, he would accelerate the vehicle and leave them in the dust. This usually continued until one of the team would collapse. In short , General Morak was the devil to each to the operatives.

General Morak told them that the next eight months would be a living hell, so fighting the Reapers wouldn't be. And at this rate General Morak seemed to be right. What made it even worse was that this exercise was considered easy by General Morak's standards. It seemed only Javik was the one most able to handle the rigorous exercises.

After another six hours of exercises the General allowed them to get food at the mess hall. Immediately Shepard and Ramirez ran to be the first ones in line.

Of course this wasn't the case as the large Krogan simply walked in front or more likely shoved the two Titans out of the way.

"Hey we were here first." Ramirez said in protest.

"You were." The Krogan, whose name was Grunt, told Ramirez.

"Listen pal-" Ramirez began before he was lifted into the air and shoved right next to the food.

"I should kill you right now. If you are strong then you would provide an excellent challenge."

Shepard cut between them in hopes of diffusing the volatile situation. "Look we don't need any infighting. If you want Grunt you can cut in front of us. I'm sure Ramirez won't mind would you?" Shepard asked Ramirez.

With a scowl on his face, Ramirez replied "No I won't."

Grunt got his food and sat down on a table. Ramirez and Shepard got their own food and sat as far as away from Grunt as they could. They were soon joined by the rest of the old Normandy crew.

"That was interesting to watch." Garrus told the team as he sat down with his food.

"Interesting isn't the word I would use." Ramirez said with venom. He glare at the Krogan from afar.

"Lucky for you Captain Shepard was there to save you." Kaidan teased Ramirez.

"I didn't need any saving!" Ramirez basically yelled, earning him a few looks. Noticing the attention he had gotten, he said "Whatever I'm eating in my room."

'His' room was actually his and Shepard's and the team noticed how Ramirez said it almost with spite.

"Sorry Shepard didn't mean to get him upset." Kaidan apologized.

"Don't worry about it Kaidan. He's just upset that's all." Shepard told him.

"Yes, but even after two months. I would have figured that he would have been over Daro by now." Nyreen said.

"C'mon let's talk about something else guys." Shepard said trying to change the subject.

Suddenly the new arrivals showed and an also sat on the table. Shepard had met each one and was on friendly terms with each one and mentally went down the list of the new recruits.

Miranda Lawson was the powerful biotic and deemed 'perfect woman' by most men on the ground team. Often times they would sneak looks at her curves and that made the women in the group quite jealous. She was the daughter of the famous Hendry Lawson, who was the owner of Law Technologies and was an immense supplier of weapons and armor exclusively for the Alliance. She was similar to her father in terms of ambition, high standards for others, and always expecting to get the job done.

Jacob Taylor was an ex-Alliance A.C.S trooper. Having served deployments on Torfan, Chilium, and fought on Eden Prime during the second assault. His team was responsible for seizing the Capital. It was said it would take two weeks to take the capital, Jacob and his team did re-took it in two days. He even managed to stop a Batarian terrorist attack on the Council, earning him praise from every government.

Zaeed Massani was a life-long trooper turned mercenary. Other than being the most ruthless and badass mercenary there is, he was a simple guy to get along with so long as you don't do something stupid.

Thane Krios. The infamous drell assassin. If you ever saw him, chances are he would be the last thing you would ever see. Not much is known about him, but what is scares the shit out of the regular Cerberus personal. There were rumors that he personally assassinated Gorv Hign, the ex-ruler of the Batarian Hegemony.

Samara, an Asari justicar. Her biotics were some of the strongest Shepard had ever seen. He didn't think that anyone could ever beat her without using clever tactics and probably using her own code against her. She reminded Shepard a lot like Thane, though a more black and white version of him. She had a strong moral compass, so it would be best not to be deceitful when she's around.

Jack a strong biotic with a temper. She was an ex-Ascension teacher at the Grissom academy. While her methods for teaching were 'unethical' no student of hers ever failed the yearly B.T.C (Biotics Training and Certification) test. She even had tattoos on her and wore even more questionable clothing than Miranda.

Javik the commanding officer to the Prothean field army. Little is known about him as he hardly socializes with anyone aside with Grunt who seemed to have a sense of personal respect for each other.

Mordin Solus, brilliant Salarian scientist, ex-STG member, and all around walking galactic encyclopedia. When he starts talking everyone pays attention as he usually has crucial information to say. He is the teams field medic and scientist and coordinates all medical efforts with Dr. Chakwas. A valid warning would be never to get on his bad side. Currently he sat with Grunt at the other table.

Grunt, the perfect Krogan super soldier. Personally tank-bred by Okeer on Tuchanka. He reminded Shepard of a younger, angrier, more reckless version of Wrex. Slightly shorter than most typical Krogan Grunt made up for this with above average intellect and immense strength. Ever since the training began he and Ramirez had been constantly at odds with each other, though it seemed Ramirez was more at odds with him than Grunt was with Ramirez.

Sitting on Grunt's left was Legion, an actual friendly Geth. How Cerberus ever managed to acquire a live Geth he would never know and probably never won't want to. He or it, Shepard supposed was extremely intelligent, second-only to Mordin and the two along with EDI, the Normandy's new AI.

Originally Joker was upset at having to leave to the Normandy, and by upset Shepard meant absolutely crazed. After refusing to leave the Normandy, Cerberus personal were forced to yank the pilot chair off the cock pit with Joker on it. He responded by yelling profanities at them, and if Shepard was honest it was quite comical. Even Ramirez seemed to get a good laugh.

Finally there was Kasumi, the galaxy's most efficient thief and self-proclaimed best there is. Looking around Shepard noticed that she wasn't around. Shepard assumed she was cloaked as she normally is and would reveal herself if she wanted to be seen, which was hardly never. This did cause some form of paranoia and caused many people to lock their doors for the good it did.

"Good afternoon, everyone," a deep, calm voice echoed from the doorway, and they turned to face the dark shadow that revealed General Morak. He wore the dark crimson uniform that Javik wore. "I'm pleased at how far you've come and as such I will ensure that you are pushed to your limits from here on out. You will give me a hundred percent each day or none at all, am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," they all immediately answered. Standing up straight and saluting the General.

"Welcome to your new family and you will no longer have dual rooms as you will no longer be living on the base's barracks."

The news caused murmurs to circulate among the crew members. With a hand, General Morak silence them. "You will no longer be living in the barracks as you will now live in your new home a ship in order to prepare yourselves to the environment you will experience. If you will please follow me."

As they all filed out, General Morak ordered a Cerberus guard to find Ramirez and inform him of the news.

They came upon a hangar deck and everyone was stunned to see the corvette, if it was a corvette, docked. It was a beauty, retaining the old Normandy's design, but incorporating added features such as improved broad side cannons and thicker armor. Its size was noteworthy as well. Shepard guess its length was over 320 meters about twice larger than the original Normandy.

Motioning to the grand ship that stood before them, Morak said "This is your new home and transportation. Make sure to treat her well, now let's see the inside."

Stepping inside, they were amazed by the immense technology and engineering put into the vessel. The room was illuminated by orange lights that seemed to display the ships as a piece of art not a war machine.

"Keep in mind that until your training is complete, the ship's AI has strict orders not to fly and many security measures have been put into place in order to avoid any accidental lift-offs. So for your sake I hope there is none." Morak warned the team.

Ashley spoke up and asked "Is there a specific place where you want us to drop off our gear?"

General Morak replied "That has already been taken care of, however we will visit your quarters first so that you may be acquainted with the rooms." Leading them he said "Follow me." He led them through a maze of hallways and decks further along the ship and had to take an elevator to reach their destination. Some of the hallways had windows, others had steel and titanium panels, cold and unfeeling. Morak talked about the various schematics of the ship, how many personal were onboard the ship, their various facilities, etc.

"These will be your personal quarters for the duration of your stay," Morak beckoned to the doors. "Your names are temporarily posted on the door of your assigned rooms, and each one is meant of house one occupant." he explained.  
Morak then gathered them up again like cattle and lead them down the ship. As they traverse deeper and deeper into the ship, there was an absence of windows. They passed by the training room, the gym, the mess hall, and a swimming pool. Mordin stared at the equipment surrounding the ships was very anxious to get to work immediately.

They were finally lead to a dark room with desks, with four chairs apiece that faced towards a large projector board. Morak instructed them to take a seat and they all did as ordered.

Miranda sat upfront with Mordin and Legion. Ramirez moved towards an empty seat, followed by Kasumi who sat next to him. Grunt and Zaeed at in the back. Garrus sat next to Shepard, Jacob, and Kaidan after Ashley and Liara had taken seats next to Nyreen. Thane and Samara took seats in the middle row next to each other. Jack and Javik each took their own separate seats.

Once they were all seated, Morak said to them "As most of you know, there is a great threat to this galaxy and each of you has been chosen for your unique talents and abilities. Most of you are the finest soldiers that I've ever seen, others of you are experts in your fields that many both respect and fear you. There will be numerous tasks and missions given to you and as such there is a real possibility that some of you may not survive." Morak paused, letting the severity of his words sink in to the team. Each one came to the same conclusion and accepted the risks in order to insure the survival of every race out there.

"There is no excuse for poor performance in the project and I hope I never have to remind you of that," Morak continued strictly. "As said before you will try your best with everything you do here. Now before you are dismissed, there is still sunlight left so we will continue with our exercises."

"Yes sir!" voices rang through the class room, and they stood and filed out the door towards where they came and proceeded to walk off the Normandy, except for Joker, and they began running laps.

The rest of the day was spent in rigorous exercise. What time wasn't spent running, working out, performing acrobatics, much to the discomfort of Grunt, was spent under the ever becoming louder voice of Morak and his Colonel Hik. Morak reminded them constantly that the training would only get harder as time progressed.

Four hours, until the moon was high in the sky, the team worked harder and harder pushing their limits. Once they were dismissed, they limped towards their barracks and it only took seconds for each of them to fall asleep, well for Grunt it took minutes.

"Well….they're doing better than expected." Came the voice of the Illusive man as he reviewed the training footage of the team.

The team worked together constantly helping each other as a team, they progressed. He saw it only took forty-five seconds for them to execute a plan of attack and defeat the regular Cerberus troops.

"Yes, but they have much to learn. They must entrust in each other with their lives if they are to succeed." said General Morak through a terminal.

"Don't worry with Shepard as their leader, I believe they could do anything." The Illusive man took a puff of his cigar.

"Perhaps, however at this rate I believe they will be ready earlier than expected."

"By how much?"

"Two months earlier or less, depending how much each member of the team contributes. I believe I must inform you that the soldier they call Ramirez is not performing at optimal performance."

"Ah yes. Woman issues I believe. Not to worry, being surrounded by woman eventually he will have a relationship with one and he'll be back to normal."

"I hope you are right."

"I am. Keep me posted." With that the Illusive logged off, leaving Morak in the darkness.

"Stupid primitives. Why can't they be more like the salarians and keep their sexual urges under control?" Morak questioned to no one in particular.

He then walked to his own quarters, thinking that if he doesn't prepare the team for what's to come they are all doom. With the thoughts in mind he fell asleep in his bed.


	3. Chapter 3 - Assessment

2-3-2184 0944 hours (Citadel standard time)

**Undisclosed Location**

"Is this what the best human soldier can accomplish? Pathetic if the answer is yes." Morak told Shepard, as the team struggled to lift Grunt.

The day started as any other day get breakfast then train until lunchtime and continue training again until dinner and the cycle was repeated every day. However, Morak had a tough exercise which was to carry Grunt, as if he had been wounded and needed medical attention, all the way to the top of a mountain ten miles high and they had only gone half a mile. It was hell plain and simple.

Ramirez, Kasumi, Nyreen, and Shepard got the front half of Grunt, while Zaeed, Kaidan, Garrus, and Ashley got his legs. Javik, Liara, Samara, Garrus got the center and Miranda, Jack, Mordin, Thane, and Legion got the sides. Even with the whole team picking him up it was brutal.

Morak singled out Ramirez and Shepard because they showed qualities of being leaders as shown through their hunt with Balak.

Titans were simply put the best Alliance had to offer. They training were meant to break most men so the ones that were left were above and beyond humankind. While Titans aren't augmented, their bodies were engineered to push the human body to the pinnacle of physical perfection.

The Titans operated in almost every Alliance conflict since their creation. While their numbers have been declassified, their training, equipment, and missions have not been and possibly never will be. Titans were the tip of the spear in the 'pirate wars' during the early time of human colonization. They played a pivotal role in the Terminus-Council war as the conflict had been named by Citadel media. Titans were heralded as unbeatable, indestructible, and deadly warriors of human kind. However, for all their bravery and skill Titans were still human and as such had the same internal and external issues as any other being.

It was these qualities that made Morak push Ramirez and Shepard harder than anyone else and it was easily noticeable. "Come on is this how much effort you two are going to put into rescuing a fellow member?" Morak questioned the Titans.

_'Not like a Krogan will ever need assistance.' _Ramirez thought as he struggled to keep Grunt over his shoulder.

They continued for about five hours nonstop carrying Grunt, who had fallen asleep a couple of times. When they reached the top of the mountain, everyone on the team let go of him.

Hitting the rocky surface, Grunt awoke to see they had reached the top of the mountain. "I was starting to doubt we would ever reach the top." Grunt said.

Breathing heavily and having his hands on his knees as he was bent slightly over, Ramirez said "Its…n-no…t….easy…run..ning….with….Krogan….as…weight." Ramirez then fell back on the ground letting the refreshing air hit his sweaty face.

A moment later Morak handed the team food and water, each member drinking at least a gallon of water. The outdoor lunch continued for about 45 minutes as they took their hard earned rest.

"Atten-shun!" Morak shouted, and everyone immediately snapped to attention. "You have performed at stellar standards and as such I believe you have earned the right to now start training as a team."

Looking at each of them, Morak said "From now on you are no longer an individual, but a team and will held accountable as such. Any successes or failures will be shared by everyone regardless of whose fault it is and that goes the same for punishments. Am I clear?" he shouted at them.

"Sir, yes sir!" They said in unison, though some were not as emotional as others.

"Hik bring the carriage out." Morak ordered his Colonel.

The team turned to see Hink, along with other Cerberus soldiers pushing a carriage.

Morak then said "Now we will be heading down to the mess hall only this time its going to be different. Everyone will seat in the carriage, while Grunt pulls it."

"WHAT?!" Grunt yelled. Sure he was a Krogan, probably the strongest there was, but eve he could pull a carriage filled with passengers. His mouth was left agape.

The others, having carried him up the mountain, did not shared his concern and piled in the carriage taking their seats.

As Ramirez was about to set foot inside the carriage, he felt a hand grab his shoulder from behind. He turned to see Shepard giving him a stare. "What?" he asked him.

Shepard answered "You know what. Grunt can't pull the entire carriage by himself."

"So how is it my problem?"

"We are a team Ramirez. Now c'mon and lets help him."

"But-" Ramirez tried protesting, but Shepard interrupted him.

"Now, we are a team and right now one of our team members needs help. Just because someone hurt you doesn't mean you have to let that be taken out on someone else. " He told Ramirez, who along with Garrus, walked to the front where Grunt was struggling to make the carriage move.

The carriage had ropes in which to pull the carriage, however one lone Krogan, no matter how strong, would ever be able to move it with the current weight it had. That's why Ramirez, Garrus, and Shepard each got a separate rope and together with Grunt pulled as hard as they could.

Seeing Ramirez attempt to help him, Grunt grunted "Didn't think you of all people would want to help me."

With a light smirk Ramirez said "Just because I dislike you, doesn't mean I'm going to let you suffer alone. We are part of a team and as a team we each have to look for each other's backs. I forgot that, but thankfully someone made me remember." Ramirez said giving a nod and a smile to Shepard.

Together the four toughest males pushed the cart and slowly managed to move it. Slowly the wheels on the carriage turned and began moving at a decent pace. After about 15 minutes it started raining, which would make swampy terrain near the bottom of the mountain.

"Perfect, just what we needed." Ramirez complained, as what felt like a monsoon poured down his body.

"C'mon we just need to work together." Shepard encouraged them.

"Right now might be a good time to remind you Shepard that Turians can't swim, so if we have to cross a river no amount of brotherhood will get me to set foot in it." Garrus told Shepard.

"You can't fly or swim. What good are you turians anyway?" Grunt asked as he pulled the carriage.

"Apparently for helping Krogan pull carriages." Garrus retorted.

"HA! You got a spine Turian. I respect that."

As a consequence of their 'exercise' many of the females were immensely enjoying watching the men pull as it showed their muscles and well tone bodies out in the open.

"Come on!" Morak advised. "You don't want to disappoint your team!" Seeing the slow progress they have made.

For another hour of the run down hill, everything was normal as their constant training could count as, but soon their luck began running out as their own stamina began running low.

"Why are we slowing down?" Came the deep voice of Colonel Hik.

"Come on, we have to speed up." Shepard hurriedly said to his team.

Amazingly they were able to hear him over the sound of their own rasping, wheezing lungs. With a nod of each of their own heads, they began pulling harder than last time. However, they couldn't keep it up much longer.

Finally after about a half hour, Ramirez and Garrus fell on all fours. Exhausted, their lungs screamed for air and their bodies burned like the fires of hell. Shepard was getting dizzy and didn't feel much other than numbness. Even Grunt was on his knees, sweating and breathing heavily for air.

"Why have we stopped? Did I order you to stop?" Morak questioned them. When they gave no answer either from not being able to waste oxygen speaking or because they hadn't heard him, Morak ordered Hik to bring out the weights.

Now Shepard, Ramirez, Garrus, and Grunt had an extra fifty pounds of their back. Seeing their exhausted teammates have to carry an additional load, everyone on the carriage got out and walked over to the four upfront. After fifteen minutes, everyone pulled with all their might and soon their fast walk became a fast jog as there was less weight in the carriage and more people pulling it.

After three hours had passed all of the Normandy's team had made down the mountain. Each of them were sweaty, tired, and in possession of sore backs. When the Normandy crew had reached the mess hall, and ended their run, Morak ordered everyone into attention. The heavy breathing from the Normandy crew was thankfully ignored by him.

Shepard, sweat pouring down his face, and his lungs burning both through the need for more oxygen, and the simple exertion of expanding and compressing them as much and as fast as he did, awaited what Morak had to say.

"Tomorrow you will be tested on your abilities to adapt to a situation. A series of tests will show you your weaknesses and strengths. I encourage you to be prepared for the next day. You have until 0900 hours to rest make good use of it." Morak then walked out of the mess hall.

There was a immense sigh of relief from the crew as they heard his words. "Finally it seems…. four-eyes ha…..s given us… a break." Jack said as she sat on a table stool hunched over in exhaustion.

"Let's just hope insulting him will result in having to do more work." Jacob said with a serious tone.

"I believe the general has our best interest at heart despite his seemingly cruel exterior." Samara wisely responded.

'I agree. A knife is only as strong as the one who wields it." Thane added.

"General Morak is responsible for our kind still being alive today. If anyone has the right to ask more of us it'd be him." Javik said.

"His ability to command is very similar in nature to Shepard's, but not in practice. By forcing us to carry the carriage, Morak made sure we each worked as team in order to gain experience to work with each other. All of these different personalities brought together normally results in a feud, yet Morak has been able to not only to keep that from happening, but also make this unorthodox team work together. Would enjoy studying Prothean culture." Mordin said extremely quickly. Everyone, except for Thane and Samara, looked at him quizzically.

Seeing their curiosity, he asked "What's wrong? Is there something on my face? Possibly sweat. No unlikely. Sweat would-" Before he could continue, Shepard stopped him.

"What they mean is how are you able to speak quickly without making any mistakes." He asked Mordin.

"Ah. Well Salarian metabolism allows us to speak and think faster than other races." he said with pride.

"So like an organic super computer?" Kasumi asked.

"In its simplest terms I suppose." Mordin answered.

"Well any way tomorrow we have a long day ahead of us. Make sure you each get some rest." Shepard ordered the team. Eventually they each made their ways towards their rooms.

Ramirez, however decided to go towards the showers to get rid of the strong odor from his body.

As he stepped into the males shower and felt in the cool water run down his back, healing his sore muscles he failed to notice a shimmer in the air behind him.

Kasumi stared as Ramirez showered. His lower body was covered, but his upper body was completely exposed. She swallowed as she watched his well toned body, water dripping down. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone else, she had a huge crush on Ramirez. Well, maybe a little more than that since she had been spying on him for a while now. Each time Ramirez would enter a room, Kasumi could feel his presence.

Despite her strong feelings for him, she didn't approach him for fear of him not sharing the same feelings. It was common knowledge that Ramirez used to be in a relationship with a former female ship-mate and from what she heard hadn't ended well. She wondered what it would feel like to have a man like him wrap her arms around her. She shivered at the thought and turning to see Ramirez finishing his shower, decided to give him some privacy and silently walked towards her room. On her way there, Kasumi decided she would continue to monitor Ramirez.

_'I wonder if maybe he would be interested in doing things with me…as ship-mates of course.'_ Kasumi thought.

**Next Day **

"Here we are," the Colonel intoned, turning to face the team as the group followed him and Morak into the room. Immediately Garrus's attention slipped to the sets of armor, gleaming metal suits looking like nothing he had ever seen before. Certainly nothing like what the regular C-Sec had access to. It seemed to of spectre quality. He noticed the majority of the group was also staring at them in varying degrees of awe.

After a moment, the Colonel cleared his throat, pulling back the attention. "As I'm sure you can see, we have the top of the line in technology reserved just for you," he said, clearly finding some level of pride in his financial work. "Beside each armor is a data pad that will tell you the strengths and weaknesses of each type of armor."

With that said, the Colonel stepped aside. After a short tentative pause to be sure they were really allowing it, the group went towards the armor with Ramirez and Garrus eagerly hurrying at the head, Shepard and Nyreen tailing. Each member reviewed their armor and after much debate selected their own. Ramirez chose the one on the far right, which was apparently an upgraded version of Titan armor that he wore. Garrus stood before a set of blue turian armor that provided improved protection without sacrificing mobility. Kasumi and Miranda each chose skin tight, yet flexible, cat suits that brought out their curves. Kaidan, Zaeed, Jacob, and Ashley each chose the newer Alliance trooper armor currently in service. Jack headed for a set of black armor, Thane chose A.C.S armor that would allow him to be an even deadlier assassin. Samara decided to keep her justicar outfit as a sign of respect towards her code. Javik did something similar, choosing to keep his Prothean armor. Nyreen chose medium-weight turian armor, while Liara and Mordin each chose lab-coats that provided a sense of disguise and increased protection.

"Now, the next area we are headed to is the weapons' armory. Naturally, as a combat team, weapons are going to be a common part of the missions and you must be familiar with the tools you use." Morak said.

As he said this, he stood by a doorway leading into the adjacent room, awaiting the team. Shepard typically led the way, motioning the rest to follow him. As they entered, Garrus realized that this was a smaller room with four long tables in the middle. Each had a wide assortment of guns from pistols to missile launchers. All in all it was a candy shop for Garrus, guns gleaming, polished and ready for action.

"As I'm aware that most of you have a history in the military, I doubt I need to explain to every individual here how to use firearms. Instead, all of you take a few moments to familiarize yourself with them, deciding which you prefer for missions." The Colonel explained, gesturign towards the weapons.

This time, the hesitation was much shorter as most of the group bustled over, eager to sort through the weapons. Many of them gave the pistols and submachine guns appraising glances, trying to decide which weapon would be their favorite or which might save their lives in a tough situation. Ramirez grabbed a MX rail gun carbine approvingly same as Shepard, while Garrus grabbed the new black widow sniper rifle. Grunt grinned at the wickedly-gleaming barracuda shot gun, picking it up he laughed almost creepily earning him a few concerned looks.

Mordin, Kasumi, Liara, and Miranda each chose a pistol and submachine gun of varying models. They preferred speed and agility over raw power. Jack and Jacob each gripped a shot gun. Jacob's was the Alliance issued , while Jack's was the Citadel-violated designed Ervicator

Legion, Ashley, Thane, and Zaeed each equipped sniper rifles. Their secondary weapons differed, Ashley and Zaeed took assault rifles, while Legion and Thane took SMGs.

Nyreen, Kaidan, Javik each took an assault rifle. Offering excellent accuracy and minimal recoil, Nyreen equipped the Turian designed Phaoestan assault rifle. Kaidan grabbed an ACR4 rail gun assault rifle and the M283 S.A.W he was used to. Javik, ironically, grabbed the Tesla rifle, standard issue to Alliance O. .

After several minutes of this, the Colonel stepped forward. "I trust all of you have made your choice of weapon preference? Regardless, we're running out of time so you all must relinquish them."

Anticipating the few groans of protest, he continued. "I must insist. The weapons cannot leave this room for your safety and everyone else's," As he said this, the Colonel eyed Grunt. He probably meant to say, I don't trust a large Krogan with a large shot gun in a close quarters environment.

Before they could leave however, Morak stopped. "No, Colonel I believe they are ready for the test."

Colonel Hik was about to protest, however Morak gave him a look and Hik stepped aside letting Morak take control.

Morak then explained the training exercise he had in mind. "As I mentioned yesterday, this will the first of a series of many tests. In this training room, there are thirty Cerberus soldiers patrolling. Your objective is to eliminate the threat of the soldiers. Pillars, barricades, and various other obstacles will be used in order to provide cover. Your are to eliminate them as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Are there any questions?"

Nyreen saw Shepard ask "What are the guards equipped with?"

This time, it was the Colonel's turn to speak. "They are equipped with standard issued firearms, grenades, and armor. Do not worry all ammunition is rubber, with the exception of the grenade which instead uses paint."  
Ashley spoke next "Are we able to take any weapons and equipment with us?"

Before the Colonel could answer, the General spoke. "You will use the weapons you have selected earlier. I hope I don't have to warn any of you avoid being hit?"

He looked around the room, into the impassive eyes of the assembled team. Silence filled the room for a moment, until the General appeared to grudgingly accept that his point had been made. "Excellent! Ingenuity, originality, and resourcefulness will be heavily praised in this test. Is there anything else?"

When no one spoke up, he continued. "Very well. Let's begin. Garrus Vakarian you are up first."

Everything seemed to happen fast, Nyreen reflected. Right now, Garrus had been designated with starting the exercise.

Thirty white-armored men were scoping out the training floor, complete with various obstacles providing cover. Garrus had situated himself a bit to the left of all of them, preventing himself from getting caught in the center.

_'Time matters here.' _Garrus thought as he viewed a target from his scope.

Nryeen shifted slightly, all of a sudden feeling a bit uncomfortable. She was leaning against a window of the observation deck, to get a better look at the fight. Shen knew Garrus could handle himself, but that did little to reassure her.

A shot rang throughout the room grabbing her attention. She moved so she could get a better position and saw Garrus had made his move.

One pair of troopers had been left pinned to each other through Garrus's firing as he managed to take a squad. The shots fired from his sniper rifle almost hit the troopers simultaneously. While she may not have been paying much attention, the sight of Garrus expertly navigating a war zone gave her a reason to.

Ten soldiers rushed to their fallen comrades, bad move. Garrus was already moving far behind them, dashing between the blocks quickly and making sure he only moved when they weren't looking in his direction.

Now the ten were lined up in a neat little row, perfect arrangement as even a competent sniper could take out a platoon of men if they were arranged in such a fashion.

Ten shots were fired before any of them could take more than a step. Ten shots, and three soldiers went down in near-sync.

"Damn he is good," Jacob said cheerfully next to Nyreen. Others in the team agreed at his analysis.

One squad of Cerberus soldiers desperately tried to run to the nearest cover, tripping over a fallen soldier on the way and was shot in the torso before he could hit the ground.

The last two Garrus toyed with. Purposely allowing himself to be seen in one area, only to sneak halfway across the room to be seen again, before playing the same trick. He was showing off his speed and awareness on the battle field. The two sole remaining soldiers were panicking and yelling until he finally put them out of their misery and ended the match with two quick shots.

The match had lasted seven minutes, but Nyreen got the impression that he could've halved that time had he felt the need.

"Round over," The base's AI, Gate keeper announced. Nyreen found Gate Keeper, possibly a reference to the shadow organization's name, fascinating only because 'he' was the second AI she had seen in her entire life. While Citadel space had gotten used to the idea of friendly AIs, they seemed to still retain their cultural bias. Many claim the Alliance's AIs are vastly different than the Geth, simply because the Alliance were able to fully understand their nature before creating devices. While that was partly true, it did not provide sufficient evidence to support that claim.

Seeing the humans being treated like the other council races, better in some cases, caused resentment among the quarians, who view humanity's ascent in galactic power as hubris. They were forced from their homes, abandoned by the Council races, and had been forced to live on ships with the risk of extinction, while the humans were offered a Council seat for the creation of the same mistake. This caused quarians to openly display hatred and propaganda against the humans. Ironically enough there were reports of Quarian 'warships' raiding human vessels and would board the ships in order to obtain advanced human technology.

Due to their weak ships and the small, but powerful human warships, the Quarian's were forced to attack shipping freighters and using their display of large number of ships to force the crew to abandon the ship, allowing them to obtain human technology. Unfortunately for the Quarians, following the Terminus-Council war, all freighters moved in convoys and had Alliance frigates and destroyers stealthily escort them from behind. The result was several Quarian warships were destroyed, with minimal damage to the human fleet. Such aggressive actions caused any galactic support for the Quarians to dimished and only caused further discrimination from every race, with the exception of the Hanar, the Asari, and the Raloi.

"Jacob Taylor, report for round two," Gate Keeper continued.

"Wish me luck," Jacob said, exiting the observation deck.

"Good luck," Shepard and Ramirez called after him.

"How do you think he'll do?" Kasumi asked, to no one in particular.

"I think he'll do alright. He may be a little too….nice for a soldier, but he must be extremely skilled." Shepard replied.

Garrus entered the room, distinctly pleased with himself. "Well what did you think?" he asked them all.

"I'd say that was great, but don't get cocky or you'll get a rocket to the face." Jack told them.

"I'll be sure to remember that Jack."

Gate keeper declared the start of the round. Everyone was now watching Jacob and wondering how he would complete the task.

His style was largely like Garrus's in the sense that he preferred stealth and taking them out one by one instead of going for entire squads. Unlike Garrus, however he wasn't as showy and used a shotgun instead. Once again the thirty soldiers spread out in squads and Jacob elected to track them one squad at a time. He was patient and positioned himself so that none of the other soldiers would have a clear shot when he popped out of cover and attacked the team closest to him.

When he saw a squad approaching, he fired his shotgun, taking all four of them down. The noise of his shotgun alerted the rest of the enemy combatants and they descended on his last known position. When the enemy arrived at Jacob's position, they found smoke, flash bang, and paint grenades. Before any of them could give a warning, the grenades were detonated. Off the bat Jacob eliminated six with the paint grenade. With smoke providing cover on top of the enemies momentarily stunned by the flash bang, it was a walk in the park for Jacob.

One by one he eliminated them, managing to rack up twelve 'kills' before the smoke was cleared. He took cover and as the remaining troopers started to panick, Jacob attacked them with grenades, biotics, and his shot gun. They were simply unable to respond to the versatile attacks of Jacob.

"Round over," Gate Keeper announced.

It had taken five minutes. "Looks like he beat your record." Ramirez teased Garrus.

"He also didn't show off as much," Liara added jokingly. "Not sure if the latter is a good thing or a bad thing, though."

"Well let's be honest. No one can match the style and flair of Garrus Vakarian!" Garrus told the team earning him some playful retorts.

"Grunt, please report for round three."

The large white-armored Krogan headed out of the door. "He He He, this is going to be fun!" Grunt said as he hit his fists together.

"You know I kind of almost fell bad for those guys." Ramirez said seeing Grunt laugh that somewhat evil laugh and being overly excited with having to fight.

"I have to agree with you." Kaidan added, his remark was shared by most of the team.

Jacob arrived and nodded once to Grunt and then walked past him up the stairs. He seemed undeterred as he joined the rest of the team in the observation deck. "You know seeing Grunt smile like that makes me worry about the Cerberus guys." he said.

"Join the club." Ramirez told him.

The floor was set up again and more troops were herded in, just for Grunt. Grunt strode into the room. He picked up his primary and secondary weapons - a shotgun and an assault rifle. His combat style did little to reassure the team, and probably the Cerberus soldiers, that no would end in the base's infirmary or worse.

"How long do you think he'll take?" Ashley asked to no one in particular. Mordin would have answered, but Zaeed beat him to it.

"Probably not the long considering he's basically the perfect krogan, but then again his species enjoys dragging out fights as long as possible."

Grunt stared at the terrified fifty troops as they tried to put as much distance between them and Grunt as possible. With a loud roar he charged them. "AAAAHHHHHH!"

In unison all the Cerberus soldiers seemed to forget that they had weapons and that this was a simulation not active combat. Immediately most the soldiers turned tail and ran as fast as they could. The few that were too paralyzed in fear, were immediately shot and tackled by Grunt, sending them flying.

Seeing their bodies impact the wall hard, Ramirez said "Yeah, I definitely feel bad for them." Many share his sentiment as they saw Grunt, who was supposed to be hunted, hunting the Cerberus soldiers.

One soldier managed to get himself cornered and Grunt stalked him like a lion would his prey.

The Cerberus soldier seeing there was no hope, did the unthinkable. He threw down his gun and got on his knees with his hands in the air and pleaded, "Please let me live, I have a family to take of. Have mercy on me I beg you." The Cerberus soldier was on the verge of tears, something Grunt disliked greatly.

Shooting him with the assault rifle, Grunt said, with malice in his voice "There, now get of here!"

"Thank you. God bless you." the soldier said as he ran off, presumably towards anywhere else, but where he was currently.

In the observation deck, General Morak was face-palming himself. "That was possibly the most pathetic thing I have ever seen in my entire existence."

Miranda stared as Grunt just intimidated a highly-trained Cerberus operative in a simulation. "Well….that's something I thought impossible." she said.

"Krogan are feared for their brutal nature. Stereotype is always untrue as they have shown signs of compassions, however this is only with their own kind." Mordin informed her.

Seeing their comrade had been spared, all the remaining Cerberus soldiers threw down their arms and surrendered to Grunt.

"Call the round." Morak ordered flabbergasted at what he had just witness.

"Round over." Gate Keeper announced.

The cycle continued all afternoon. One by one each member was called down individually to perform their test. Kasumi and Thane used stealth to their advantage and eliminate the soldiers systematically. Thane even managed to obtain the enemy armor and equip it, allowing him to eliminate the enemy while also confusing them. Miranda, Samara, Liara, and Jack used their biotics to their advantage. Lifting them into the air immobilized, allowing them to concentrate on the numerically weaken soldiers. Miranda and Jack, however also used slam and warp causing some Cerberus personal to immediately go to the infirmary due to the injuries they sustained. Nyreen, Kaidan, Zaeed, and Ashley each used their weapons more than anyone else. No showing off or unnecessary delays, they just simply gunned the Cerberus soldiers down. Mordin, simply neural shocked all the troopers causing them to collapse on the ground. Then he just walked aroudn shooting each of the soldiers while they were down. Legion was perhaps the smartest as he hacked the Cerberus personals' weapons, preventing them from firing. Either because they were demoralized or because they wanted to get it over it, the Cerberus soldiers lined up and allowed Legion to shoot them.

Finally it was just down to Ramirez and Shepard. "Shepard please report for the next round." Gate Keeper said over the comm.

"Well I guess it's my turn." Shepard said as he grabbed his MX carbine. Heading down the stairs, everyone wished him luck.

He had been observing the others, carefully. Garrus, Kasumi, and Thane had been stealthy and precise, however Garrus had been sly, but reckless. Kasumi and Thane would make excellent choices when operating in urban environments as they can blend in with the crowd. Garrus could provide sniper support from afar.

Miranda and Jack had been sly, but aggressive. They would be excellent for hazardous operations. Samara and Liara were more focused making them efficient in long firefights. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses.

Going over the list of rounds, he determined Jacob and Thane had the best runs as they didn't take any unnecessary risk. He tucked the information to the back of his head. It could come in handy one day.

"This is going to be good!" Ramirez chirped happily, breaking the silence.

"He is going to kick some ass." Jacob added.

"Let's just see how the boy scout does." Jack told them.

As Shepard entered the training room, he had already decided what he was going do, quick elimination. Nothing too flashy like Garrus or stylish as he had put it, not as completely unforgiving like Zaeed, who gave a guy a concussion. Just lightning fast and deadly.

"Round start." Gate Keeper announced.

Shepard ducked behind a barrier. His motion sensor picked the enemy right away. There were two hiding a few rows down from her, with a squad in almost in the same position in the next two rows of obstacles.

It seemed as if they were still trying to organize themselves and trying to see what would Shepard's plan of attack would be.

_'They probably think I'm still trying to make my mind. They won't be expecting this soon.'_ Shepard thought. He spun from behind the barrier and charged down the centre row. Firing a concussive shot, he eliminated an entire fire team.

The second pair jumped in surprise as she approached them. They both collapsed to the ground, faces or more exact helmets being littered with the remains of the rubber bullets. He didn't break a sweat, and kept firing at anything that moved. He dropped into a slide as the next squad shot the air where his upper body used to be a fraction of a second before. He fired his weapon at their pelvises. They clattered to the floor comically, making high pitched squeaking noises.

Shepard jumped out of his slide, and picked up his sprint. He was about twenty meters from the next group of enemies. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the next four had moved to flank him from behind after he ran forward. Jumping into the air, Shepard equipped his pistol and fired at the four enemies. Four shots impacted with four helmets as they dropped to the floor.

Sliding into a nearby barricade, Shepard noticed that the last group of enemies had group themselves in groups of eight in a V-like formation. This meant as he engaged one group, the other two would move in and flank him.

_'Well this calls for some improvisation.'_ Shepard thought.

Throwing grenades, he managed to separate one group from the other two groups and focused on that one. Shooting each soldier until they were down, Shepard fired a concussive shot at the other group eliminating half and fired his pistol eliminating the remainder. He was down to the last group and as they fired their weapons, Shepard felt the rubber bullets whizz by him. He planted his foot and pushed herself into the air. Arching his back and flinging his other foot forward, he fired at the enemy soldiers beneath him as his body was upside down. As he was about to reach the floor, Shepard fired another concussive shot eliminating the remainder. His foot hit the ground again first and he landed in a kneeling position. His landing ankle burned with pain, but he ignored it.

He heard Ramirez's muffled yell from the observation deck. "What the fuck?!"

"Round over. James Ramirez, report for round eight." Gate Keeper stated in his usual cool demeanor.

Shepard stood and headed back to the observation deck, panting heavily. He dropped his weapon on the weapons table as he passed it.

"Damn," Ramirez said, striding down the last couple of stairs. "That was the most badass thing I ever saw. Well aside from mine of course."

"You haven't even gone yet." Shepard protest.

"But I'm about to. Watch and learn from the pros." Ramirez strode past him, snatching an MX carbine and a pistol.

Shepard, shaking his head, rolled his eyes and went up to the observation deck.

He was greeted by some clapping, cheering, and approval.

"Show off." Garrus coughed into his hand.

"Jealous that I out -shone you Garrus?"

"Of course not Captain, though it seems you didn't hold back."

"What is he doing?" Kasumi asked, with immense curiosity.

Her question peaked the interest of the others and they walked up to the window to see how Ramirez was doing in his round.

Ramirez was calmly striding down a row of blocks, his gun over his shoulder. Whenever a white soldier peeked out from behind a block, Ramirez would flip his carbine off his shoulder in one quick movement, and fire causing the soldier to clatter to the ground. It seemed a little too easy to be possible; there were some split seconds where a soldier could have shot and easily taken down Ramirez, but instead they waited for him to shoot them.

Shepard looked around; no one else seemed to notice. "How is he just walking through the place and winning?"

When he came to the last two soldier, he hardly did a thing. They stood facing each other, guns aimed. It seemed like Ramirez was talking to them, but Shepard couldn't even fathom what it was. Eventually the two lowered their guns and Ramirez shot them both in the chest. They clattered to the ground, and walked over to them, said something else and patted each of them on the head.

"Round over. Session one complete."

"Just what in the name of spirits happened?" Garrus shouted with frustration. Clearly he was infuriated by Ramirez's display. Everyone had the same level of interest.

General Morak just watched eye-wide at what had just occurred. "Never have I seen something as ridiculous as this." He said to his Colonel.

"Well it seems, he has shown great levels of adaptation and ingenuity." Hik responded.

"Perhaps. Hopefully the Illusive man sees things in the same light." They both left, just as Ramirez arrived.

Bowing to the team, he said "Thank you, thank you."

"How did you do that?" Kasumi asked.

Ramirez shrugged. "Those guys have been fighting us all day. They're tired and terrified. I just told them if they wanted to spend a while fighting or just be done with it. The last two weren't as sure as the rest, so I told them that I would buy them drinks and they did as I told them to do." He paused for a second. "Does this place have a bar?"

Kaidan yawned. "Well, I'm tired. Might as well go get some shut eye."

"Just remember we are living in the Normandy now." Shepard told him.

Kaidan groaned. "Great we have to walk all the way back there. Perfect."

"Getting some rest seems like a good idea." Thane added.

The other members of the team filed out of the room, Grunt glaring at Ramirez on the way out, until it was just Ramirez and Kasumi.

"You bribed them, didn't you?" Kasumi asked, although she already knew the answer.

Ramirez shrugged and took off his helmet, revealing an easy smile. Kasumi swallowed a lump in her throat as she gazed on his features. She noticed he had a long scar on his left cheek.

"Hey I got to know a few of them. Yes I bribed them, but no one told me I couldn't . It's all strategy," he added, with tapping of his head with his finger.

Kasumi rolled her eyes. "Well I'm going to sleep. See you around."

"Definitely." Watching Kasumi leave, Ramirez found himself smiling for the first time since Daro left him.


	4. Chapter 4 - It begins

A/N: I have a challenge for all my readers. Last story got 168 reviews and i'm looking to top that. I think we can do it, just remember leave a review. Also check out **Forward unto Victory** by HeirOfRohan in the command and conquer section. I promise you it's great.

* * *

2-25-2184 0944 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**Undisclosed Location**

The Illusive man found himself chuckling, something which he didn't do often. Watching each member of the team decimate and intimidate the Cerberus soldiers brought him quality entertainment. Of course these 'soldiers' were ones that were deemed incompetent by his standards, and therefore were deployed simply as training targets for true soldiers.

"They seem to be advancing at a remarkable rate," The Illusive man said as he took a puff of his cigar. "I believe they will soon be ready for deployment."

General Morak just started at the Illusive man. "They may be deadly warriors, though I believe they have yet to prove themselves as a team."

"Time is not our ally in this war General. If they aren't ready in two months, then I believe all this effort would have been for nothing." The Illusive man sternly told the Prothean general.

"We cannot just send them into the fire without preparing themselves or else we are just wasting resources."

"General, Shepard and his team are more than just 'resources'. As of right now they are humanity's and by extension, the galaxy's greatest hope for survival. Ensure I do not have to repeat myself on this matter."

"Of course." With that, the general and the head of Cerberus each logged off from their respective servers.

_'They must be ready for what's to come.' _The Illusive man thought as he took another puff of his cigar.

So far progress has been promising, their team was complete and fully-armed. Now all that was left was to make sure they were capable of working as a team and General Morak would make sure of it.

'_My plans are already in motion. Now all that is left is to put the final pieces in place.' _Morak thought as he ordered the Prothean and Cerberus to advance. He turned his attention to the small camera in the mess hall, witnessing the team communicate with each other. He wondered what will happen in the upcoming moment, will their effort as a team allow them to prevail or will the diversity of so many personalities be their downfall? Either way, Morak was about to get his answer.

* * *

"So Joker, when are you get surgery for your legs?" Ramirez mocked Joker.

"About the same time around you learn to stop being depressed over women." Joker retorted.

"Hey at least I can please women."

"You forget Ramirez, the Normandy is my baby."

"That's right Joker. No one cares or flies her like you do." Shepard told him.

The three continued making idle conversation, burning through their food as they did so. Others were also chewing their food and were having different conversations. Shepard at that moment, seeing all these different people from different races, realized it was war that brought them together. War is what drove these soldiers to unite together for a common cause, survival. Shepard found it funny that it was war, not peace, that seemed to unify people.

"Hey Ram-" Shepard caught it before it even entered everyone else's as split situational awareness. The other members of the team caught it a split second after Shepard. In an instant, Zaeed's barely pubescent voice roared and cracked "_GRENADE!" _as the non-lethal flash-bang was dropped into the mess from the skylights.

Immediately, Shepard and everyone else on his side on the table jumped over as the table was flipped over to provide cover. Just then the grenade came mid-way between the ceiling and the ground, and detonated in a massive, blinding, deafening explosion. What would have been utter chaos in such an attack, instead was the result of months of solid, day-in, day-out training.

Shepard and his team switched from a 'casual' state of mind to a full battle awareness. In the few milliseconds between the flash-bangs detonating, and the several fully-armed and armored Protheans and Cerberus soldiers roping into the building, storming the doors, and removing their tactical cloaks, the team reacted in their own way that they knew how, attack and defend.

Garrus and Javik aimed their non-lethal side arms, at the enemy combatants. Liara, Samara, Miranda, and Jack were flipping tables to create cover, flinging dishes to create distractions and momentarily stun the enemies, and forming up in their squads to create unit cohesion.

A military-training evolution of paintball and tranquilizers, paralyzing paint rounds were exactly as advertised. It is paint, that when impacted on a target, it rapidly hardens and solidifies to the point of incapacitation, should they be hit in enough places.

"Ramirez! Stay on my ass, cover me! Shepard ordered, "Now we need to get weapons!"

"Alright." Looking around the room, Ramirez noticed someone was missing. "Hey, Shepard where-" he began, but was cut-off by an explosion on the side of the wall. Emerging in the chaos was none other than Grunt and in his possession were many weapons of all kinds. He immediately became the target of the enemy soldiers, probably because they saw him as the biggest threat.

Remarkably, Grunt was able to run towards Shepard's position and avoid being hit in the process.

"I guess that answers my question." Ramirez said as he picked up a non-lethal version of his favorite armaments. Everyone was also doing the same thing.

"Shepard-Captain, their creating a barrier field to create cover." Legion warned.

"Shepard what are your orders?" Jacob asked.

Shepard thought for a moment and decided that a crazy strategy was better than no strategy at all. "Kasumi, can you use your invisibility cloak to hassle them in their rear?" He asked her.

"No problem, Shepard." Immediately Kasumi activated her cloak and became invisible. It was then that she started to navigate the chaos that had engulfed the mess hall.

"Everyone else, assemble the tables in a circular formation in the middle in the room!" He pointed to where he wanted to set up, "They'll surround us, and that will make it easier for us to find targets!"

"That's a stupid plan. We should just charge them." Grunt called out.

"Grunt, we aren't all krogan." Ramirez told him. "I vote for Shepard's idea, anyone disagree?" Seeing no one disagreed, Shepard put his plan into motion.

"Okay! Move fast!" Shepard ordered, "Heaviest lifters first, take a hold of the table's supports!" He indicated the iron bars on the underside of the table, "Biotics, reduce its mass! The less distance we have to drag it, the better! The rest of you, maintain suppressive fire on the enemy! Watch your shots, and go for their weak spots."

"What weak spots!?" Ramirez sarcastically asked rather loudly, after shooting a Cerberus soldier in heavy armor in the head multiple times. Said Cerberus trooper was still fighting, which aggravated Ramirez. "Hey jackass why don't you stay down?"

Of course his response was a hail of paintball rounds. "Fuckers." He muttered as he ducked behind cover.

After fighting for a mere seconds, a series of explosions blasted in the Prothean rear. Balls of pink paint rained down on them as they were momentarily caught off guard.

"That's it everyone! Keep the heat on them!" Shepard encouraged his team.

Even Joker managed to hit a target. "TAKE THAT YOU ASSHOLES!" He screamed at them.

Minutes later, Kasumi appeared right next to Ramirez as they continued to shoot at the enemies. "I take it you are to thank for those explosions?" he asked her.

"I do what I can." she remarked.

People on both sides were calling out ammunition checks, enemy positions, tactical cloak shimmers, everything. Over all the noise of gunfire and shouting, Shepard couldn't miss the unmistakable 'clink' of a grenade slamming onto the ground.

"Flash-bang!" Shepard shouted, before he ducked his head down, clamped his eyes shut, and covered his ears with his arms. Everyone, but Mordin, Kaidan, and Liara were fast enough to do so, and as a result they were easily eliminated in their dazed state.

In Shepard's team in a weaken state, the Prothean and Cerberus soldiers advanced. One of them, a biotic, lifted Legion into the air and fired. Unfortunately the shot went right through the hole in 'his' armor and in an elevated position Legion fired his sniper rifle, hitting the same biotic that lifted him in the leg twice and in the neck once. Another Prothean soldier fired his rifle and managed to hit Legion in the waist as he descended to the ground.

"The bloody insects are advancing!" Shepard heard, muffled through the ringing in his ears, Zaeed's voice.

"They don't pass our tables!" Shepard ordered, breaking cover and sighting down a Cerberus soldier. He fired and instantly she went down.

The Protheans were few in number, but they had his training, his battle instincts, and his experience on their side. The Cerberus soldiers didn't, but most likely they were there to bolster the Prothean's numbers.

Garrus emptied his entire magazine into a Cerberus soldier in front of him, seven shots were what it took to deplete the man's shields, but the rest of Garrus's shots were absorbed by his armor. Looking to his left side, he saw Thane narrowly duck multiple paint ball rounds, by leaning back to where his back was perpendicular to his legs. After they had fired where he was once standing, Thane managed to eliminate several enemy soldiers from the ground, before getting back into cover.

_'That reminds me of that one Earth-vid…..the _Matrix_ I believe it was called.' _Garrus thought as he saw Thane do something similar to what he had seen in the vid. In his distracted state, he didn't notice an enemy aiming at him. Just as the enemy fired, her round was blocked by a barrier from Nyreen.

"Pay attention!" She scowled at him.

"Right, sorry." he apologized. Together Garrus and Nyreen managed to take out six more troops between them. Biotic and weapons training seemed to complement each other as Garrus and Nyreen were demonstrating.

"We got them!" Ashley yelled, shortly before she was covered head to toe in paint for being exposed for too long.

"Keep firing and keep your heads down!" Ordered a smiling Shepard, as he ducked back into cover to reload, in order to avoid Ashley's fate.

Miraculously Joker hadn't been hit yet. This greatly surprised Shepard as he, along with pretty much everyone else, believed Joker to only be a flight lieutenant and nothing more. "Damn, Joker. I didn't think you had any ground training." Shepard said, blind firing at the Cerberus soldiers that were closing in on their position.

"What just because of my 'condition', that automatically means that I can't fight?" Joker asked a bit offended, shooting at a Cerberus soldier.

"Of course not, it's just that your obsession for an inanimate object is so great I never figured you would have time for anything else." Ramirez mocked.

"Screw you."

"Guys! Focus on the enemy first!" Shepard ordered them.

"Sorry, captain." They both said in unison.

To Shepard right's he saw Jack get covered with paint around her torso after she let her temper get the best of her. "FUCK YOU ASSHOLES!" She yelled as she sent a few tables flying towards them. The tables managed to prove effective in either forcing the enemies to take cover or be hit in the face and thus knocking them out.

At that instant, Shepard had an idea. Looking around he could see a few more minutes and the line would fall. They were immensely outnumbered and outgunned and therefore they needed a game changer. "Miranda, Samara, and Nyreen, when I say now I want you all to sent the tables flying in each direction. Everyone else, when that happens I want you to eliminate any dazed soldier. Am I clear?" he asked them.

They all nodded and got ready to pull of the stunt. When he was satisfied that they were ready, Shepard gave the order. "Now!" he shouted.

In an instant later, the entire mess hall was momentarily filled with tables soaring all over the place. Even the combatants that were taken out of the fight like Kaidan and Ashley had to duck in order to avoid being plastered by the granite tables. Approximately a quarter of the Prothean and Cerberus soldiers were able to find cover in the nick of time. The rest however, weren't so lucky and were met with the painful impact of hard granite smashing into their faces and bodies. They were easily picked off rather quickly and the remaining biotics attempted to create barrier fields for their teams.

"Shepard we are going to need something big and hard to take out those shields." Nyreen told him.

With a nod of his head, Shepard glanced over at their heaviest hitter, Grunt, and said "Grunt cut loose."

In response to his words, Grunt threw his weapon aside and shouted "I AM KROGAN!" He then charged at the enemy like a mad bull seeing nothing, but red.

The Cerberus soldiers immediately turned tail and attempted to retreat, only to be picked off by Garrus's impressive marksman skills. The Protheans were a different story, having survived the horrors of the Reaper war, they were not so easily eliminated. They held their ground, not intimidated by a rushing Krogan, and were effectively firing an impressive display of fire at the young, reckless Krogan. Grunt, after taking huge amounts of paintball fire, was taken out; but not before three Prothean soldiers were thrown from their cover by the strong Krogan.

"Well there goes our ace in the hole." Joker commented as he witness Grunt's elimination from the firefight.

"I'm not worried, after all we always have you ready to bail us out in any situation." Shepard sarcastically said.

"Hey that's when I'm flying the Normandy, not in ground combat."

"Well you could always be bait."

"Asshole." Joker retorted, firing his weapon and eliminating a Prothean soldier, however the same Prothean managed to take out Nyreen.

"Spirits, I was so close." Nyreen muttered in fustration.

Ramirez and Garrus took out two more Prothean soldiers, however they managed to lose Jacob in the process as well. There were only six Protheans remaining. "Garrus you take the ones on the left and I'll take the ones on the right." Ramirez offered.

"There is twice as many on the left." Garrus responded.

"Yeah I know. I can count." Ramirez told him just as a Prothean soldier came around their cover, directly behind Garrus. "Shit! Watch out!" Ramirez warned as he fired on the Prothean soldier and taking him out. However, Ramirez failed to see another one come up behind him and as a result was easily shot from behind.

"Damn it!" Garrus said frustrated that the enemy soldiers managed to flank them. He fired his sniper rifle and the enemy soldier fired his assault rifle. It was a display to witness, as the fire both men managed to cancel each other out, thus causing Garrus and the enemy soldier to be taken out almost simultaneously.

Getting back up, Ramirez could see Garrus was also covered in paint. "I'll admit Garrus, that was pretty impressive." He said, offering a hand to Garrus.

Garrus took it and now on his feet, said "Thanks. You weren't so bad yourself."

They then went to join the rest of the team that were eliminated. They could hear their reactions were mixed. Some were satisfied to simply have the time to do extra work, while others were enraged that they were taken out.

"Captain I recommend an all out assault." Javik suggested, levitating an enemy combatant and easily taking her out.

He looked around and saw only that three were remaining. It was then that he made his decision. "Javik, body slam the one on the right. Miranda, you and Samara levitate the remaining two."

They did as they were told, Javik body slamming an enemy on one of mess hall's support beams. The Cerberus soldier was easily incapacitated. Miranda and Samara levitated the two remaining soldiers and they were covered completely in pink paint as Zaeed, Shepard, Javik, and Kasumi unloaded all their remaining magazines on them.

A series of cheers and shouts came from the direction of the other team members. Shepard looked around and saw, the once white covered, mess hall was covered in various shades of red, blue, pink and purple.

Glancing at the remaining team members that managed to last the entire assault, Shepard told them "That is exactly what we do in a scenario like this." Raising his voice so that the losers could hear him, "Hopefully next time 'all' the team members will last the entire fight!"

Ramirez responded in kind by putting up his two middle fingers at Shepard, who laughed at his friend's reaction.

A clap was heard from behind him and Shepard turned to see General Morak. "You have done well and each of you should be proud. I take pleasure in having train you, however the current circumstances forces me to deploy you sooner than I would like."

"Exactly what circumstances are we talking about?" Shepard asked him.

"Two of our operatives were captured by a Quarian marine platoon. Their job was to retrieve sensitive Alliance material and technology. From what we've managed to gather, they are being held on the Quarian ship, the Aleria. Your mission is to rescue the operatives and destroy any research into human technology and retrieve whatever you can."

The news hit Shepard hard as he grimaced at the details of the mission. The General seem to notice Shepard's state. "Is there a problem, Captain?" Morak asked Shepard, his eyes narrowing indicating he knew Shepard was hiding something from him.

Putting a straight face on, Shepard said "No sir."

To all the crew members of the Normandy, Morak said to them, "The training ends now, agents. There is no longer a room for error. No more second chances. If you make a mistake now, you or one of your team mates will pay for it. Having said that, are there any questions?"

He stared at them for a moment, but none of them moved. A heavy silence settled over all the assembled, no doubt reflecting the meaning of what he had just said.

"Very well then, dismissed." He gave a salute, in which Shepard returned.

They gave a nod to the general and watching them banter as they left the room, Morak saw Ramirez approaching.

"How many tangos are we looking at?" Ramirez asked the Prothean general, while everyone left for the ship.

"Ah, my people have a saying in the matter." He responded.

"And what might it be?"

"Information learned is more valuable than information given." He answered with a slight smirk.

"So what you're saying is, you're not going to tell me?" Ramirez asked him, getting annoyed with all the riddles the Protheans were so commonly known for.

"You will find everything you need to know. Other than the ship's layout, you'll be going in blind. You won't know the enemies numbers, their guard rotations, their weaponry, or their capabilities. This is your job to find out. "

With an unsatisfied grunt, Ramirez jogged to catch up to the others. When Morak was sure all the members of the Normandy's crew was gone, he activated a personal com-link.

The Illusive man appeared on screen. "I still do not think they are ready," Morak murmured, not meeting the Illusive man's eyes, who was quite possibly the most dangerous man in the world.

He sighed heavily, resting his hands on the sides of his leather chair. "Not this same old argument again, general, please. They're as ready as they ever will be. I believe in them and so should you. I have no doubt in my mind that they will complete the objective, and we will be one step further on stopping the Reapers."

Morak looked up at him, unable to keep the reproaching look off of his face. "I can't help but feel that compacting all of these personalities on a small ship will eventually cause infighting."

"Don't worry Shepard is a natural-born leader. If anyone is able to lead them, it would be him."

"I hope you're right, for all our sakes."

With that said, General Morak disabled his communicator and watched as the Normandy took off in the void.

"May the father of wisdom guide them in their journey." Morak silently murmured to himself.

* * *

This might be an issue, or a chance to kick Gerrell's and Rael's asses for being dicks.


	5. Chapter 5 - First impressions

3-3-2184 0944 hours (Citadel standard time)

**Cerberus Headquarters**

**Undisclosed Location**

The Illusive man sat in his usual chair and reviewed the video of the simulation ambush over and over again, looking for both moments of ingenuity and of stupidity. He constantly re-watched as Ashley was taken out due to arrogance, Grunt recklessly assaulting the Prothean line, and watched as Shepard set up a defensive line and held it with his small band of soldiers.

Nyreen had performed well, but was taken out by a Prothean soldier. She showed signs of relying equally on her weapons as her biotics. A very balanced individual.

He quickly reviewed his own notes on the other member's performance. Shepard, as always, performed exceptionally. Ramirez and Garrus seemed to show excellent teamwork. Joker, the pilot, impressed him showing qualities and abilities he had not believed the flight lieutenant to have had.

The doors behind him suddenly burst open, a man strode in, his face critical of what he saw as he glanced round the room.

"Good afternoon, Illusive man," the man in back of him said, with a voice that clearly stated his role in galactic affairs. "As the human coun-" he began, but was quickly cut off by the Illusive man.

"I know exactly who you are, what your position is, and how far your influence goes Udina," the Illusive man snapped, his lip curled in distaste. "I see the Alliance doesn't trust me to run this operation without leaving someone behind to check up on me."

The human councilor held up his hands in defense and shook his head slowly. "I assure you that the Alliance has no such intentions. I am only here to make sure our investment was worth it."

The Illusive man stared at him for a moment, before he inclined his head in acknowledgement, seeing the naked truth in Udina's eyes.

'_Perhaps this is a man I can have use for,' _he mused within the privacy of his thoughts.

However, he wasn't readily going to hand sensitive materials to the man. The Illusive man wasn't the sort of man who could just trust people. His years working for, and eventually becoming leader of a black ops organization has taught him that trust was too valuable a commodity to be handed out freely. It had to be earned and from what he saw in Udina, wasn't much too impressive.

"Very well then, Councilor. I shall forward you all relative mission reports from the team." He looked away from Udina, out through the glass of the observation deck, into the magnificence of space. "She is a fine station, is she not? More than I had expected them to grant me, given the circumstances that we find ourselves in."

"A fine station, certainly. We live in a time of necessity after all." Udina answered him, gazing over the various consoles and terminals. The station was surrounded by 1 dreadnought, 2 super carriers, 12 carriers, 5 battle cruisers, 15 cruisers, 30 destroyers, and 45 frigates, no sane warlord or fleet would even consider attacking the station, of course they would have to find it first, something that was extremely unlikely.

"And necessity demands action." The Illusive man finished solemnly, smiling slightly. He turned away from the glass, striding towards the control platform, hands behind his back. Technicians rushed to and from each of the terminals to ensure power usage was optimal.

"Allison, would you be kind enough to show our prestigious councilor the work Cerberus has achieved." His tone was commanding, yet polite. His smile widening as the various screens lit up and took on the semblance of activity.

The dozens of screens quickly flicked through a variety of images, and a woman's voice softly spoke up. "All current systems are operational. Life support is online. Station's defense systems are powering up. Shields are online. Artificial gravity, you should already know, is online." The station's AI stated. "Is there anything you would specifically like to know , Councilor?"

"Not at this moment." He said nervously, coming to the conclusion it was best to keep a certain distance from the organization and be allowed to feign shock if the whole plan backfired. "I see that the Alliance has invested well into your organization and I bid you a farewell." Udina quickly walked towards the nearest elevator.

From within the shadows of the room, a voice was heard. "I never thought he would ever leave." The person then walked out of the shadows revealing himself to the Illusive man.

"Don't worry Leng. Udina is only here for show, trying to appear as if he has any control on our affairs." The aging man told his most lethal assassin. "I presume your mission was a success?"

Kai Leng reached into his pockets and pulled out an O.S.D card. He handed it over to the Illusive man. "The Quarian's tech is starting to get more advanced by the month. We believe that the Collectors may be involved."

"Have you any confirmation on this? I do not want to waste resources only to find out that it was a false alarm." The Illusive man sternly told him.

"No, but I was able to confirm their population size. From the most recent census, the Quarian population size is at a total of 45 million." Kia Leng awaited the Illusive man's reaction.

Almost choking on the glass of whiskey he was drinking, he asked "Are you certain of this?"

"Check the information yourself." He indicated to the card that was in the Illusive man's hand. "It's all there and now their ships number at over 250,000 vessels of varying class."

Eyeing the card, the Illusive man pocketed it and turned his attention to Kai Leng. "If what you're saying is true then that almost surely means the collectors, and by extension the Reapers, are involved."

"How far do you think this goes?"

"If the Quarians are receiving advanced technology, then the only logical conclusion is that they are being assisted by the Batarians, which could mean war for the Alliance." The Illusive man said, solemnly.

"The Alliance just got done fighting a war with the Batarians and the Geth. I doubt that they'll charge right into another one."

"Actually I plan on that." Walking over to a stand, which held a bottle of whiskey. He poured some into his glass and drank from it. "You see Kai Leng, I believe the Reapers are actively trying to goat all the galactic governments into war in order to become weaken when they arrive. I will forward the findings to the Alliance, hopefully they will start to heavily invest in Cerberus."

"Why?" Kai Leng asked confused. He did not see the same picture that the Illusive man saw.

"In order to wage this war ourselves. As we take the brunt of the attack, it will give the Alliance time to prepare. Our sacrifice will ensure humanity's survival." The Illusive man walked over the observation deck and stared at the Cerberus fleet.

"If this is war, we are going to need more than Shepard's team and Cerberus. We are going to need help." Kai Leng said, with crossed arms. He knew no matter how good Cerberus or Shepard's team may be, they alone could not match the Hegemony's navy.

"Which is why I will be meeting with the Red Hand, the Spectres, and the Raloin military to have them join our cause." The Illusive man explained to his assassin.

Kai Leng thought it over. Overall it was a sound strategy, Cerberus's image improves and the Alliance does not risk their military. "I can see the Red Hand and maybe the Spectres helping us, but how are you going to convince the Raloin military to wage war against the Batarians?"

"Simple, prestige. As of now, they are seen as the underdogs, if they were take out a known galactic superpower, they would gain recognition."

"And what of Shepard?" The assassin asked the head of Cerberus.

Sighing, he said "He has no idea what he's getting into. To his credit he has an impressive team. A tough band of brothers, but whether their loyal is a different matter itself. If Shepard can't gain their trust then their all as good as dead, but if anyone can make this work it'd be Shepard. He is our best bet."

"Where do I fit into this?" Kai Leng asked, wanting to get in on the action.

"There is a Batarian outpost, which I believe is holding the Hegemony's plans for any combat strategy and perhaps their intention."

"You want me to raid it?"

"Of course."

"Consider it done." Kai Leng said as he started to walk away.

Before he got too far, the Illusive man stopped him. "Oh and KaiLeng?"

Kai Leng, gave a glance over his shoulder. "This time try not to leave a mess, hmm?" The Illusive man told him.

"No promises." With that said, the assassin stepped into the elevator.

The Illusive man sat on his chair and watched the void in silence. "Allison, rewind the simulation tapes."

"With pleasure, sir."

However, he was interrupted by a Cerberus officer running into his office. "Sir…the operatives…are in positioned." he said hunched over and out of breath.

"Good send them in." The Illusive man told him.

The officer tap commands into his data-pad signaling the operatives to begin their mission. "If I may sir, this may not be the appropriate team to send in."

Finishing his glass of alcohol, he said "The results speak for themselves. Send them in." The Illusive man repeated, not bothering to turn around in his chair.

The officer saluted and walked away.

* * *

**The Kepler Verge**

**12,000 Kilometers from the Aleria**

**SSV Normandy **

**Corvette **

The Normandy's velocity could be felt by everyone as they prepared for their first mission. Ramirez looked towards the solitary window at the back to see the darkness of space. The entire ride to the ship had been filled with nothing but tension. No one spoke a single word as they loaded their gear. The mission was simple, infiltrate the ship, recover the Cerberus operatives, and retrieve any Alliance technology.

As the team equipped their thruster packs, Shepard spoke over them. "Here is the plan, Ramirez, Kasumi, Zaeed, and Thane are on me. The rest of you stay onboard and board the ship only if necessary. Got it?"

The team gave a series of nods. Joker's voice rang throughout the cargo bay. "Back door opening in 10 seconds!" Shepard looked towards the back of the cargo bay as he heard the sound of the thrusters as the doors were unsealed. It began to open and space seemed to penetrate what was once steel.

The Normandy's SR-2 stealth upgrades allowed it to scan and cloak simultaneously. The ship was positioned directly over the Aleria.

"Well we are directly above the Aleria, Captain," Joker called. "Now get off before my baby gets shot at?"

Ramirez pressed his comm on his helmet and asked "You're afraid of Quarian defense guns?"

"I'm afraid being around you guys will shrink my life expectancy." He responded.

"Let's go team!" Shepard ordered, breaking the chatter between Ramirez and Joker. Zaeed stood up and jumped behind him, his sniper rifle tucked securely in his hands. He was followed by Thane.

Ramirez looked up and got to his feet, which was exactly mirrored by Kasumi's actions, who sat directly across from him. They stood for a moment, staring at one another as Shepard jumped off the corvette.

"I'll be watching your back," he said quietly.

"I'll give you something to watch," Kasumi replied in her usual spirited way. Kasumi turned away, keeping her eyes on Ramirez's, before severing the contact and stepping off ship. Ramirez slowly followed, felling the metal grating below his feet.

Shepard and his infiltration team were standing on top of the ring shaped portion of the ship. "Ramirez fall in!" Shepard ordered.

He looked towards the others to see them standing in a tight group. Shepard was kneeling on one knee, giving orders. Zaeed was burning through the ship, trying to make an entrance. Thane simply stood with his hands behind his back listening to Shepard.

Ramirez walked closer as Shepard began issuing orders and showing them the blueprints of the ship. "Here's is the plan. Ramirez and Thane, you two will proceed towards the prisoner cells and recover the agents. Maybe they can tell us what the Quarians are doing raiding Alliance tech." He then turned his attention to Kasumi and Zaeed. "Us three will try to gain access to the Quarians data servers and wiped clean any research into Alliance tech. If they have any sensitive material then we will dispose of it."

"By dispose, you mean destroy right?" Kasumi asked.

"Yea, that's the idea." Shepard took one last look at his team. "Once our objectives are complete we'll rendezvous at the ship's escape pods and Joker we'll pick us up. Remember not a single guard should be alerted to our presence."

"Does this mean we can't have a body count" Zaeed asked, burning through the Quarian ship.

"If possible try to keep fatalities to a zero. We are taking a big risk here and I don't want any repercussions."

"It's going to make things harder, but I think we'll be able to figure it out." Zaeed responded.

By this time, Zaeed managed to cut clear through the Quarians rather fragile armor. "Alright I'll go first." Zaeed then dropped.

Once he was inside the ship and began scanning his surroundings. Almost immediately he heard footsteps behind him. He responded in kind by pulling his pistol from his holster and turned around and aimed the gun at a slim humanoid figure who looked like as if he was wearing a hazardous materials suit of some kind. Zaeed couldn't see any skin, only two orbs behind a frosted black-tinted mask.

From what Zaeed could deduce, the young quarian seemed petrified. "Put your hands in the air and turn around." Zaeed motioned with his pistol.

"P-plea..se d-on't kil-l me-e I j-just got marr-ied." The quarian was practically shaking.

_'Obviously not a soldier.'_ Zaeed thought. Once the quarian was facing the other way, Zaeed responded by hitting the quarian in the back of the head with his pistol. The rest of the team dropped down as Zaeed hid the body.

"How much time do we have, before they realize that there's a hole in their ship?" Ramirez asked.

To answer his question a squad of Quarian marines came around the corner. "Hostiles!" hurriedly shouted a panicked Quarian marine as soon as he laid eyes on Shepard's team. They all raised their weapons, making ready to fire.

"Take them out." Shepard hissed. He didn't want to kill any quarian for that matter, but right now he didn't have a choice.

Before either side could open fire or blink, Thane dropped behind the Quarian squad from out of nowhere. He biotic punched the quarian on the far left, sending him flying and impacting the metal armor of the ship. The quarian marine was rendered unconscious and was injured in the process. The squad was taken by surprise as they didn't realize that they had a dangerous assassin behind them. Thane, then swept a Quarian's left leg causing her to lose balance and while in mid-air, Thane quickly punched her in her torso. The two remaining Quarian marines were now turned and facing Thane, however they did not fare much better. Thane kicked the Quarian's gun away from his hands, and punched him hard in the face. The affected Marine's helment grew an immense spider-web like cracks as a result. He did something similar to the last Quarian, swatting the gun away with his hands. Thane let loose a volley of punches in the Quarians shoulder blades and torso, causing the Quarian to hunch over, which allowed Thane to deliver a powerful uppercut, followed by a punch to the neck using his elbow.

All four marines laid on the ground unconscious and beaten. It had taken only fifteen seconds for Thane to take down all four marines. Thane turned to face Shepard, who along with the rest of the squad, was amazed by the Drell's skills. "Shepard, I believe now would be a good time to leave the area."

Shepard, now brought back to reality, shook his head and said "Right. Let's move people we have a mission to complete."

Shepard, lead Zaeed and Kasumi around the same corner that the Quarian marines came from, while Ramirez and Thane went the other way.

Each squad went their separate ways. As Thane and Ramirez sprinted towards the prisoner cell's, he told Thane "I gotta admit that was pretty badass."

"What you just saw was a life-time of constant training as an assassin. The Hanar require these services, since their excessive politeness leaves them at a disadvantage." Thane informed him.

Thane and Ramirez turned to a right corridor. When they were hearing voices, they focused on staying quiet. As the voices got clearer, Thane paid attention to the tone and let Ramirez worry about direction.

From what Thane could hear, there were three voices. One was fairly dry, sort of amused. Another was high-pitched and scared. Not as they thought their lives were in immediate danger from a drell assassin. The last one….it reminded Thane of a voice trying too hard to be authoritative.

"I want this to go off without a hitch do I make myself clear?" The leader asked.

"Prazza, why don't you shut-up and go bother someone else." One of the Quarians replied.

"Regar, I am your lieutenant and as such I demand respect. Furthermore-" Prazza was unable to finish as Regar's fist made contact with his face.

"How's that for respect?" He asked the now unconscious Prazza.

"Regar you can't do that. He's an officer." The female voice said.

"Illyana, getting handed a promotion from Real does not make him an officer."

"Don't let anyone hear you say that." She told him.

Before Ramirez and Thane could hear anymore, they advanced towards the prisoner cells.

* * *

**QMS Aleria **

**Prisoner Cells**

David Andrews was bored.

Normally, he'd have been reporting the events occurring in galactic affairs. While having been a Cerberus agent, he was also a reporter for the Citadel news network. Of course that was before he was captured investigating the Quarian raids on Alliance freighters. It seemed they didn't want their allegiance with the Batarians to be publicly known. So now he was stuck in a cell with a trained Hanar soldier, who went by the name 'Blasto'. This was undoubtedly a reference to the Hanar-centric Blasto vids. Well he couldn't complained much, he at least had a good companion for now.

"So any idea before we get let out?" Andrews asked the Quarian guard.

"NO!" He screamed, spinning around to face him. "For ancestor's sake, would you please stop asking me that!?"

Andrews frowned. Blasto, then confronted the Quarian guard. "This one recommends you do not be aggressive."

"Listen here you jellyfish. I am not paid enough to be guarding an ape and his stupid companion!" The Quarian was visibly shaking with anger now. "NOW DO ME A FAVOR AND SHUT UP!"

Andrews just stared at the Quarian, seemingly unaffected by his outburst. "So I take it you're letting me out now?"

The guard froze. Just as he was about to shout, the door which had been sealed and firmly locked was blasted off its hinges, slamming into the guard and sending him sprawling onto the ground unconscious.

"I believe Shepard asked us to be silent." Thane informed Ramirez as they both cleared the room.

Once he was assured the room was all clear, he turned his attention to Thane and told him, "Its not like the entire ship heard it. Besides we have to make this quick."

"Uh…are you here to get us out of here." A voice near them asked. They turned their attention to the voice and saw a average built human male wearing a red baseball cap in the opposite way. A blue Kevlar vest that had the word, press on it and khaki jeans. Next to him was a Hanar.

"Are you two the Cerberus agents?" Ramirez asked them.

They nodded their heads, or rather the reporter nodded his head and Ramirez thought that the Hanar nodded his head.

_'That explains how they got captured.' _Ramirez thought.

"Stand back." Thane warned them. They did as they were told and Thane took a step back before he hit the cell with his palm. A second later the cell fell, leaving Ramirez once again amazed at the skill of the drell assassin.

"This one would like to thank you for saving us." The Hanar told them.

"What are your names and why were you captured?' Ramirez asked them.

"My name is David Andrews and this here is….well he goes by the name Blasto. Anyway we, or rather I was reporting on the strange habits of the Quarians recently. Blasto here was my protection."

Ramirez stood dumbfounded. Never in a million years would he ever have thought that the Hanar could fight. "Okay….and what were you able to find?" Ramirez asked the reporter.

"Well you see that's the thing. The Quarians are raiding for the Batarians, in returned they get additional ships and supplies. This has allowed the Quarian race to more than double in size. But get this, any useful tech the Quarians find they keep and give the Batarians the scrapes. If word of this ever got out, the Quarians would be royally screwed."

"Well then, let's get you out of here." Ramirez told him.

Thane lead the way, while Ramirez brought up the rear as they made their way towards the escape pods.

* * *

**QMS Aleria **

**Sector D - Medical wing**

Shepard lead his team through the various hallways, trying to avoid the many Quarian patrols. There were some close calls, but for the most part they managed to navigate the Quarian ship undetected. "According to these prints, we are near the gun batteries. The R &amp; D bay should be 200 meters from here."

"We can move quicker if we just blasted through." Zaeed suggested, getting tired of sneaking around.

"I told you, no fatalities. And keep your voice down." He reprimand Zaeed.

"Shepard, I see three guards walking over a catwalk overlooking the bay. We can't sneak past them and we can't get close enough to knock them out." Kasumi informed him and a silent whisper.

Shepard thought for a moment on how he could bypass the area the most effective way. Finally he came up with something. "Kasumi can you cloak and hack into the alarms?"

Already knowing what he was thinking, she gave a nod. Before she could cloak, she told Shepard that she would need to incapacitate the guards.

Shepard told her to do it.

As she cloaked, Shepard and Zaeed equipped their sniper rifles and aimed at the guards in case anything went wrong. He was reluctant, but he knew he had no other choice.

As Kasumi, using her incredible agility, managed to scale her way over underneath the catwalk. She was able to hear the Quarian's converstation.

"Can you believe we are stuck on guard duty?" Asked one of the Quarian marines.

"Well we are soldiers so I'd imagine no." One of them replied.

"Do you know who doesn't have patrols?"

"You are going to tell me." The same Quarian said.

"Vex. I bet Vex is in bed sleeping right now in her room. Her fat Quarian resting on a pillow."

Sighing, the other quarian said in a tone that quickly stated that he wasn't paying much attention. "That's Vex."

"I mean I make one mistake and I get guard duty, when I should be sleeping." The quarian said turning around. He had his back facing his two Quarian friends.

"C'mon do you guys think that really is fair?"

When he didn't hear any response, he turned and noticed that his two friends were missing. "Guys? Guys were are you?" Equipping his sidearm, he started investigating for signs of his friends. "C'mon this isn't funny. Guys?"

In his panicked stated, he failed to notice Kasumi was standing directly behind them. With a well place pinched on his nerve, the Quarian marine fainted into unconsciousness.

"Hey we're clear?" Kasumi whispered into her comm.-set.

Shepard, who with Zaeed was positioned in an over watch position, responded. "Yeah, we're clear Kasumi, but watch your corners." he warned.

"I see the alarm system heading towards there to disarm it." She told them.

"Alright, but be aware that I don't have eyes in that area. Me and Zaeed are moving to a new position and we'll switch to thermal. You'll be alone for a few seconds."

"Try and not to take so long, Shep." Kasumi then sprinted towards the alarm system. It was a console with many wires and commands. To an untrained eye, one wouldn't know what to do, but it was a piece of cake for Kasumi.

"Alright let's see what we have here." She muttered to herself. She began cutting wires and hacking into the terminal. When she was almost done, she got a warning from Shepard.

"Kasumi! I see two small dots. Check your six, I think someone is in there!"

Kasumi quickly turned around, arming her Locust SMG and aiming it at the intruder.

Behind her, was standing a Quarian holding two cups of turian filtered caffeine. They stood there staring into each other's eyes, neither one even bothering to blink. The Quarian slowly turned his head sideways to where an alarm stood.

Kasumi followed his glance and immediately knew what the Quarian was thinking. "I wouldn't recommended it."

The Quarian turned to face her, then the alarm, then back at her as he tried to make up his mind. Finally he made his choice and made a move over towards the alarm.

Kasumi responded with a burst of fire. The shots hit the Quarian's shoulder, throwing him of balance. However, the spin from the shots that Kasumi fired made the Quarian's face the alarm and was falling in that direction.

"So close." Kasumi muttered as she ran from the area. A second later, the alarms were rung.

"Well so much for stealth." Zaeed said as he switched over to his assault rifle.

Immediately Quarian marines poured into the area and they opened fire on Shepard and Zaeed.

Shepard and Zaeed targeted a squad and shot four rounds at their faces. They all were all dead before they hit the ground.

They took cover as a company sized force engaged them. Kasumi dropped from above shooting the Quarians. She was able to kill two and injure another two. She spun into cover as a squad focused on her.

Zaeed threw a frag grenade killing a dozen marines. "See Shepard, this way is quicker." He said as he shot another marine.

Shepard didn't give a reply as he fired his sniper rifle. He killed a marine right away. He fired on another one, and he went down hard. A high pitched scream could be heard as Shepard shot the Quarian right in his testicles. The Quarian's near him, cringed at the sight of blood and meat pouring from between the unfortunate marine's legs.

Zaeed laughed at the sight. "Damn best shot I've ever seen Shepard." He fired at three Quarians and managed to kill two of them. The third one, however managed to shoot at Zaeed.

"Fuckin bugger!" Zaeed shouted as a round tore through his arm. A hole the size of a grain of sand could be seen on Zaeed's right arm and blood was spilling from it.

"A little wound is going to keep you down?" Shepard asked, clearly taunting him.

"Not in your life. Damn good thing I'm left handed." Zaeed grunted.

"Kasumi, Zaeed follow me!" Shepard shouted as he sprinted from cover. The Quarians aimed their rifles at Shepard as he charged them.

Hundreds of Quarian marines lined the various catwalks and in front of Shepard, were no less than 60 marines all aiming their rifles at him. The Quarians made one fatal error, they forgot about Zaeed. Immediately when Shepard ran from cover, he got out his missile launcher and fired at the catwalks.

Explosions rocked the bay as the catwalks collapsed on themselves. Wreckage fell from above and the marines ran for safety. This allowed Shepard and his team to make a run from it. They fired from the hip as they made their way towards the doors. All around them bodies fell as their rounds made contact with the Quarian marines. Zaeed fired another missile at the steel doors destroying them in a massive fireball. As they ran through it they noticed charred remains of the marines who were standing behind the door.

"Poor buggers." Zaeed said as he ran.

Kasumi fired her SMG and pistol simultaneously trying to thin out the Quarian numbers. She slide on the floor taking out three Quarians by shooting them in their thighs and legs. As they sprinted the narrow hallway, Zaeed threw three frag grenades at a corridor where a squad of marines were approaching from.

The last thing, their orb eyes saw was the smiling face pin on the grenades as they exploded and took out anyone in their radius.

"There!" Shepard indicated to another set of doors. "Zaeed you know what to do."

Zaeed responded by putting two missiles into the doors. As they exploded, Shepard and his team ran straight into the catwalk.

As they as they did, they came into a large hangar bay. All around them stood hundreds of marines aiming their rifles, sniper rifles, turrets, and grenade launchers.

Shepard, Kasumi, and Zaeed stood back to back as they were outnumbered and outgunned.

Over the loud speaker, came the voice of a Quarian. Male by the sounds of it commanded, "Attention Geth sympathizers stand down you are surrounded!"

"Any more bright ideas Shepard?" Zaeed sarcastically asked.

Shepard ignored him, preferring to instead evaluate the situation they were in. "Where are you Ramirez?" Shepard whispered to himself as he glanced at the immense number of troops.

There was no way they could escape from this situation.

* * *

**QMS Aleria**

**Command Deck**

**9 Minutes earlier**

The moment the Aleria detected a hull breach, Rael had sent a squad of combat engineers to fix the problem. Warning sirens were going off on the deck. "Will someone cut that racket!" Rael hollored over the alarms and the frantic voices of his crew.

The alarm mercifully was cut off and the sensor operator immediately started reporting that the hull breach was now fixed. Admiral Zorah! The breach seems to be now plugged."

"Thank the ancestors for that. For a moment there I thought I was going to lose my mind." Sighing, Rael asked his one of his ensigns "When will the Batarians be arriving?"

The ensign tapped in some commands on his console and an image appeared on the main screen, which showed the expected time arrival of the Batarian cruiser.

"Only a few more minutes and this will be done." Rael said as he glanced over through the schedule. Allying with the Batarians caused a massive debate among the Quarians. Xen, Gerrell, and himself were in support of this 'alliance'. Raan and that coward Koris were completely against it. They argued that if they were to ally with the Batarians then thier treatment among the council races would be even worse that what it already was, since it would appear that as they were in support of slavery. They most likely feared direct intervention from the Alliance, since in turn for materials and ships from the Batarians, they were required to conduct raids on Alliance freighters and acquire any technology they could. In the end, Rael's side was able to win and already their population was twice the size it already was.

_'If only it could have been simpler.' _Rael thought.

It seems their paranoia of the Salarians have caused the Alliance to encrypt and bobby trap all of their classified technology. There were some instances were a Quarian ship would exploded from a virus embedded inside a AI data core or would go into self-shut down. Rael didn't enjoy risking Quarians for the sake of slavers, but it was a small sacrifice compared to the possibility of regaining their home world, Rannoch. It aggravated Rael that since the induction of the humans, the Citadel races all seemed to have forgotten the massive hypocrisy in the treatment of the Humans and Quarians. They both created AIs, however the Quarians were forced into exile and were threaten with extinction constantly, while the Humans gained access to the Council and lived a live off luxury.

He didn't care for the losses of any Alliance personal. They deserved death as far as he was concerned for not only creating those blasted AIs of theirs, but also for preventing the Quarian race from attacking the Geth and reclaiming their home world. All relays heading into the Persus viel were heavily guarded to avoid another war. The expansion by the council into the Terminus system caused the Hegemony to look for any potential allies. And that was how, the Quarians were able to produce exponentially and have the backing of a galactic superpower.

Of course this had caused her daughter, Tali to disowned him as family. Rael couldn't understand, he was doing all of this for her.

'_Why can't she just understand that this for the better. This could lead us to our home world.' _Rael thought.

"Admiral!" One of his ensigns called for his attention. "We are receiving a transmission from the Batarian cruiser."

Rael pondered this for a moment. Deciding that he needed to make sure that the Batarians were alone before giving his crew further orders. "Scan the entire system. I want to make sure that they don't have more ships in the vicinity and if there are any more make sure to go to FTL."

The ensign gave the data being displayed on his console a quick overview. "Scans show only one other vessel in the area besides us Admiral and that clearly is the Batarian cruiser."

Rael felt confident enough that he could take out the Batarian cruiser if the captain of the vessel decided to double-cross him. The Neema and Light star were hiding behind a moon in the system, which allowed them to hide their signatures.

"Very well provide them with docking coordinates." Rael instructed.

"Affirmative Admiral. Coordinates sent. Anything else sir?"

"No that would be all." Rael got up from his command chair and made his way to the docking bay, with an escort of armed marines. "Tell the Batarians to be careful, the last thing we need is a confrontation." Rael told his ensigns.

"How are you feeling Admiral?," asked a marine.

"Honest I'm a little nervous. All I have is my cruiser and Gerrell's dreadnought and a additional cruiser."

When they arrived at the airlock, Rael saw the Batarian captain approach with an armed escort himself.

The Batarian captain was named Halek Lorsan. He was a minor captain in the Batarian navy and was considered to be poor choice to lead anything more than a cruiser. This was the reason he was stuck doing deals with the Quarians.

"Captain Lorsan, it's a pleasure to have you onboard." Rael lied.

"It's a pleasure to be here. I assume you have what I came for?" He asked.

"Of course right this way." Rael motioned to follow him down the hallway.

"As you know, it takes much resources to obtain Alliance technology and I was wondering the payment that would match our efforts."

"Wondering what? You're unsatisfied with the pay the Hegemony is paying you?" Lorsan spat out in anger.

Rael held his hands up in defense. "No, no. It's just we can't simply repair or replace the materials and men that are lost attempting to gain this level of technology."

"Well what have you managed to obtain?"

"Well we have gathered, what humans call 'solar panels'. What it is, is a set of panels that harness power from the sun to produce unlimited energy."

"YOU IMBECILE! THAT IS NOT ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY!" Lorsan shouted, aiming his sidearm at Rael's face. The Quarian marines and Batarian guards each equipped their own guns and aimed at each other.

The alarms suddenly blared across the ship. Rael, still nervous at having a gun pointed at his face, got on his omni-tool and connected to the command bridge. "Flight lieutenant what is the situation?" Rael asked.

"Sir, we have intruders!"

"What?! Get the marines and seize these hostiles!"

"Aye, Admiral."

Turning his attention to the Batarian captain, Rael attempted to negotiate. "Well it seems we have intruders. If you maintain a civil attitude, we will gladly allow you to take the intruders as slaves."

The Batarian captain thought it for a moment. Wanting to make sure that his trip wasn't a total waste, he put his gun down and nodded his head. Before Rael could give a sigh of relief, he was grabbed by his facemask and pulled right into Lorsan's face. "Make sure to never make this mistake again." He then let go of Rael.

Rael kept his mouth shut on his treatment and lead the group towards where the hostiles were about to be trapped.

It five minutes for five minutes for Rael to lead the group to where the Quarian marines had surrounded the intruders.

Once they reached the hangar bay, they saw three soldiers wearing white and yellow armor. Rael stood in front in them and asked "Who are you? And why are you on my ship?"

Shepard didn't give an answer, preferring to keep quiet. This did not please Rael one bit. "So not going to talk? Well then human, you'll be happy to know that my acquaintance here," Rael motioned to the Batarian captain standing beside him, "will be taking you and your comrades on his ship and will belong to him now _human_." He spat out the last word with venom and hatred.

"Well out of the frying pan and into the fire." Zaeed said as he clutched his rifle closely.

"Attention humans stand down, you're surrounded. Give us the data file and you will be taken into custody. We can either do this is the easy way or the hard way."

Shepard glanced at the quarian who had given him the order. The Quarian was aiming a turret at them, positioned over a catwalk with many other guards at his side.

It was just then that Thane swept two marine's legs and kicked a third towards a group of four, throwing all of them off balance. He engaged the Quarian on the turret by punching him in the mask and banging his head on it. The Quarian stunned was no match for the drell assassin. Than then kicked him off the catwalk and the marine landed with a thud. Thane then repositioned the turret and shot the other catwalks support beams causing them to collapse and the Quarians as a result fell to the ground. Thane jumped off the catwalk and started spiriting towards Shepard, who by now had taken positions near a hangar.

"GET THEM!" Rael ordered his marines. He did not want the soldiers to escape and warn the Alliance or worse, the Council, of what he and by extension his people were doing.

However, a Blue jay troop carrier appeared over the hanger, and Shepard was relieved to the see the pilot. Manning the weapons was and piloting the transport was Ramirez. "Never fear, evac is here!"

Ramirez fired 4 missiles into the hangar bay, causing all the marines to scramble for cover. Ramirez then repositioned the aircraft to allow the team to get onboard. Shepard was surprise to see a hanar and a human were already on the transport.

"Hello this one goes by the name blasto, and the human over there is named Andrews." The Hanar said indicating to himself and his companion.

"Aw fuck it! Shepard we have to go!" Zaeed screamed, shooting another missile.

"Everyone on board!" Shepard ordered his team. Each of them got on one by one. When Shepard was satisfied no one was left behind, he got on the transport.

Heading to manned the turret, he said "You're late."

"Yeah well take it out of my tip." Ramirez shot back. He then pressed a button and music started to blare across the aircraft.

"What are you doing?" Shepard asked him with raised eyebrows.

"What does it look like?" Ramirez rhetorically asked. "I'm putting on inspirational escape music." He said as he pressed on the thrusters to max speed.

"Shepard, I'm getting a message from the Normandy." He informed him.

"Patch them in."

Joker's cheery voice was heard throughout the ship. "Shepard so glad I was able to reach you."

"Joker we are kind of busy. Whatever you are going to say just spit it out."

"Well the Illusive man wants to talk to you once you get back to the Normandy. By the way Captain, who are your friends?"

"What a-" The Blue jay shook as fire from enemy interceptors hit near the engines. "Ramirez get us to the Normandy ASAP."

"Right hold on." Ramirez used his flares as he put the aircraft into evasive maneuvers. Doing a barrel roll, Ramirez was able to dodge the enemy missiles.

The Normandy, still cloaked, fired its forward particle accelerator cannons and the pair of enemy interceptors were destroyed.

"Thanks Joker. We owe you one." Ramirez thanked the pilot of the Normandy.

"No problem, Commander. You know maybe next time I can give you flying lessons."

Ramirez laughed at Joker's pun. "Thanks, but I didn't train to be a pilot."

Once inside the Normandy hangar, Ramirez parked the blue jay in the designated helipad. The ground team got off and Shepard made his way towards the comm-room to have his talk with the Illusive man.

* * *

**QMS Aleria**

**Hangar one **

"You incompetent fool! You can't even subdue a squad of mercenaries! I shall kill you where you stand!" Lorsan at this point was beyond furious. Not only had Rael failed to deliver unique Alliance tech, but he also managed to allow mercenaries to escape.

"I swear to you this is only a minor setback."Rael pleaded. He knew that Batarians were not known for their patience.

"NO! No more setbacks from this point forward. This ship is now the property of the Hegemony Navy. Lorsan declared.

"WHAT! You can't just….but this is a Quarian ship."

"It was a Quarian ship now it is a Batarian ship. Resist and you will be shot. Annoy me and you will be shot. Fuss and you-"

"Will be shot." Rael finished.

"It's good that I made myself clear. Men relieve the Quarians of command over this vessel." Soon the Aleria docked with the Batarian cruiser and Batarian troops started to pour into the ship.

Secretly Rael, using his onmi-tool ordered for Gerrell to leave the area. The pair of ships did as they were told. Rael could only dread what his daughter was going to think of him.


	6. Chapter 6- The spark

3-3-2184 1944 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Corvette**

**Communications**

Shepard walked towards the ship's communications deck, beside the armory. Stepping inside, a hologram of the Illusive man smoking a Cuban cigar appeared. "What's going on?" He asked the aging, grey haired, blue eyed man.

Taking a puff of his cigar, the Illusive man addressed Shepard. "We're at war. Humanity is under attack. You and your team may be all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat of our brief existence. "

"What are you talking about? Is it the Reapers?" he asked.

"As of two hours ago the Hegemony has declared war on the Alliance. All Alliance fleets are coordinating patrols along the Attican Traverse. Due to their limited ships, the Alliance can only wage a defensive war."

"Which means that we will have to fight this war ourselves." Shepard finished with determination in eyes.

"You are only half-right Shepard. Cerberus will be leading the charge against the Batarians. This allows us to work outside of galactic law and hit the Batarians where it hurts them the most."

"And where will that be exactly?"

"Their home world, but that will take time. Right now Cerberus frigates are conducting raids on their shipping lanes, allowing time for us to launch a coordinated assault into their territory."

"What's our mission?"

"I need you to lead a small task force and capture a moon in the Maroon Sea. We have reports of that the Batarians are manufacturing ships and weapons. I personally believe that this is a launch pad for incursions into Alliance territory."

"Do you have any idea on their defenses?"

"That is why I'm sending you. If their expecting a large fleet to attack their doorstep, then they won't be expecting a small infiltration team. You'll have three days until then, good luck Shepard." The Illusive man disconnected the com-link and started patching into Alliance fleet QEC's.

Shepard took in the details and decided it would be best to have some rest. Immensely tired from the mission, Shepard staggered to his cabin and fell on his bed. Almost immediately he fell asleep.

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Gun Battery **

Down in the gun battery, Garrus and Nyreen were having a conversation about different types of guns.

"You do realize that a Turian main gun is able to fire more rapidly." Nyreen stated.

"But the Alliance's rail gun fires more power." Garrus argued, as he was attempting to calibrate the Normandy's weapon systems.

"At the cost of rate of fire." She countered.

"Maybe, but then again have a gunner like me and you won't be able to fire more than once."

Nyreen rolled her eyes at Garrus's immense ego. "Why don't you take some time off of that battery and let's go to my quarter to release some tension." She said with a hint of seductiveness.

Garrus smiled at the idea, but being a work alcoholic he couldn't stop working. "Uh…if it's all the same to you I'd like to do it after I'm done with the calibrations."

Nyreen shook her head with a small smirk. "Why do I make you uncomfortable, Garrus?" As soon as she finished she left the battery, but Garrus didn't notice that she had left the room.

Garrus, taking the silence as an indication to continue, said the most awkward thing ever. " You don't ever have to worry about making me uncomfortable. If you'd like I'll gladly test your flexibility. You know me, I always like to savor the last shot right before I pop in the heat sink." He turned around and to his horror saw Ramirez standing in the door way.

Neither said a word and silence filled the room. Finally Ramirez, backing away, said "I'll just let you get back to work."

As the doors closed, Garrus stared at the door and muttured "Right. 'Cause I'm in a great place to optimize firing algorithms right now."

* * *

**Cerberus Headquarters**

**Undisclosed Location**

In spite of it's obvious lacking in numeric areas, the Alliance Navy was strong in diversity and in was one of most technologically advanced navies in the galaxy. The destroyer, essentially a larger, more powerful frigate is able to offer speed and power. Able to maneuver from Dreadnought fire, the destroyer is able to hunt frigates and scrap a cruiser if it has surprise on its side. It was one of the ships able to retrofitted into a 'drone ship', despite its name it still required a crew and a captain, but did not require Alliance soldiers onboard as the ship's defenses were controlled by an AI. This frees frigates to launch flanking attacks on the enemy fleet without having to worry about protecting capital ships. The destroyers, in turn allows corvettes to act as large troop carries and make hit and run attacks.

Another ship type, first designed before first contact was the battle cruiser. Midway between cruiser and battleship size, these vessels were designed for two purposes; hard, fast assaults and capital ship class commerce raiding. The vessels were armed with two large rail gun cannons, each measuring 367 meters in length. Like their larger cousins, battleships, battle cruisers are made to sustain heavy hits and dish it out. A unique trait among Alliance ships, with the exception of frigates and corvettes, is that their main cannons are able to arc in a certain degree allowing for effective knife fight engagements.

The greatest and unquestionably most powerful elements of the human navy are the carriers. In the ocean going navies of Earth's great super powers, had long believed that aircraft carriers were far superior to battleships. For all the power that battle ships provided, they were incredibly vulnerable to the aerial assaults of dive bombers and torpedo planes. This mentality had carried over to the space bound navy; unlike most races, whose first kilometer ship had the biggest gun the people could build at the time, the Alliance navy stuffed theirs with fighters and bombers. They are heavily protected with armor and their hangars are compartmentalized to reduce damage to the Carriers assets, nevertheless they are still vulnerable to dreadnought fire.

Initially when the first dreadnought was built, many critics deemed it a waste of resources as they believe to be venerable to a carriers' bombers, however in the ocean where you could sink a ship, in space one would have to destroy it meaning a guarantee in a loss of many vessels for one ship. This allows the Alliances other ships to quickly pick off the strays. With the development of shields, the supremacy of fighters over dreadnoughts was no longer certain. The torpedoes launched from fighters would take time to wear down a ship's shields. Thus the Alliance navy, begrudgingly , accepted the large ships into their fold. It was here that the Illusive man's great-great-grandfather Frederic Harper's influence could be seen. Lobbying the Alliance, Frederic was able to stop the Alliance's over reliance on the large vessel by creating a degree that at maximum of 20 dreadnoughts could be active at any time. He was also the architect for the Alliance's Titan program. His contributions to humanity earned him immense wealth

Fast forward to the present and Frederic's great-great-grandson was following in his footsteps. By 2178 the Illusive man managed to assemble an impressive sized fleet. Cerberus maintained and fielded four different fleets with their large income through private donors and many inventions. The total number of ships Cerberus had at their disposal was 1 dreadnought, 10 super carriers, 17 carriers, 25 battle cruisers, 60 cruisers, 72 destroyers, 90 frigates, and 180 corvettes. The Illusive man plan to use all his vessels not guarding his station to wage war on the Batarians. Maybe if he was lucky, he might be able to attend his daughter's birth date. He longed to his wife Eva, and his family again, but other matters made this rather difficult.

As of now, he was preparing the five hundred fifty million Cerberus soldiers about to engage in the upcoming war. Truth be told the Illusive man was a little depressed, he was sending young men and women to their deaths.

_'If that is the price we have to pay, then so be it.' _The Illusive man continued to make preparations, hoping to end the war as fast as he could.

* * *

**Council Embassy**

**Udina's office**

Udina sat at his table, flicking through his report to the Alliance High Command, anxiously waiting for their response. His request was bold, for an essentially untried black ops organization to fight the Batarian navy. He hoped his previous service as Human Councilor to the Alliance would sway them.

Udina had made several other requests, some big and some small, but the most important ones were those concerning the allocation of new personnel to establish several new bases on the independent colony world of High Key. The locals will no doubt be unhappy, and maybe even hostile, but when the Batarian navy is at their doorstep there was no doubt that they will be gracious.

Udina's assistant, Eric Bland, was working on his data-pad. He was responsible for reporting any requests from Udina and filing any responses from Alliance High command. The current Alliance Director, Michelson 'Iron Mike' Granger was kind and generous when he needed to be and cold and ruthless when the situation demanded it. At the age of 65, he is amongst the most decorated leaders in the Alliance. Udina just hoped he would see things his way.

Glancing at the newsfeed, Udina couldn't help but feel a little nervous. The Alliance has never actually participated in a full scale warfare, alone. The other Councilors have deemed this an 'Alliance matter', hoping to avoid being drawn into the conflict. Udina could understand their reasons, but it didn't mean he had to like it.

He was snapped out of his trance by a soft cough from his assistant, who had walked over to Udina's desk unnoticed until now. "Councilor, we have received a transmission from Alliance High Command," he murmured softly, his eyes locked on Udina's. "Director Granger would like to talk to you, regarding a matter of great importance that he would not divulge to me."

Udina nodded eagerly, presuming that the Director was messaging him solely due to his report and the request that he had made. It was only when his transmission was patched through, and he saw the grave look on the Director's face, his grey green eyes burning with a barely withheld fury, that Udina began to understand that the cause behind this transmission was something much more serious. Eric grudgingly exited the room after Udina ordered him to, clearly he was unhappy being kept out of the loop.

"Director," Udina began, smiling warmly. "I wasn't expecting such a speedy reply to my report. I do hope and the rest of High Command have seen it fit to grant me, my few, meager requests."

The Director merely frowned, shaking his head slowly. "We have received your reports, Udina, but that is not the sole reason behind this call, though I'll address your requests in a moment."

He paused and took a breath, glancing at a figure behind the camera, out of Udina's field of vision, and raised his eyebrows, clearly signaling for that person to depart. After a few seconds his eyes refocused on Udina's, and with a small sigh he began to speak once more.

"Three days ago, the agricultural colony of Freedom's Progress went dark. When Alliance forces investigated the planet, they found the colony completely deserted. There were no signs of struggle or traces on the reason behind the disappearance. We initially believed that Hegemony forces launched an all out assault on the planet. That was until an A.C.S team lead by one Staff Sergeant James Vega, were able to find evidence proving otherwise. They managed to bring back a tape showing the colonists were abducted by Collectors."

Udina rose from his desk and slammed his fist on the table. "Impossible! The Collectors are a myth, a legend, a Terminus system ghost story."

The Director paused again and took another deep breath, frowning heavily, the bags under his eyes becoming even more prominent at this angle. "I am afraid to say otherwise. The official story will be that Batarians attack the planet, however as the Alliance tries to secure its borders I'm going to need Cerberus to take the brunt of the attack. We are stretch thin as it is and we can't deploy troops into the Terminus Systems without leaving our worlds unprotected."

The Director sighed, holding his left hand to his brow. "We will grant you your requests for an increase in financing. We will also agree to grant you access to one of our old shipyards decommissioned in '64 on Old Traveler."

Udina cringe his fingers, not entirely appeased by the Director's offering, but….it was tempting. The added access to a shipyard in particular would be a bonus.

After some initial thought, Udina made his choice. "I accept your request, Director," He announced slowly, maintaining eye-contact. "But if you intend on using Cerberus I recommend we switch to a war-level ecomony."

"We have given more factories to Alliance suppliers, however that is all that we can do. This is not a war we can wage without heavy losses to our way of life Udina. I hope you can make do with what you have and make sure to keep good relations with the Citadel races. I don't want you to burn bridges."

Udina gave a nod of his head and the Director severed the link. He asked his personal V.I to summon his assistant back into his office. Eric entered through the doors in seconds. "May I ask what the transmission was about, Councilor?" he began before giving him a chance to speak.

Udina merely rolled his eyes in mock-frustration and gave him a tight-lipped smile. "The good Director has informed me of new developments that has occurred recently. Do not worry it is nothing to worry about."

Eric stared at Udina, clearly he did not believe the human Councilor, but refrained from saying otherwise. "Well that is good news. By the way have you seen the news recently?"

Udina gave his assistant a look. Eric responded with turning on the screen TV in his office. Immediately Citadel News began broadcasting, with the usual Asari anchor, Celar Solen.

"We interrupt your usual programming for an important news update. Just minutes ago the Batarian navy has launched an all out attack on Alliance territory in the Attican Traverse. We go to Foarius Laforeck currently near the colony Iris, onboard the _SSV New Hope._ Foaruis what can you tell us on what is going on?"

The screen switched to a light-skin Turian. Judging from his size and build he was relatively young, possibly just had gotten out of the turian military. "Well as you can see from the observation deck behind me, the Alliance Navy has prepared every available ship they can to defend every colony and others near the Hegemony-Alliance border. From what I've seen, only independent colonies have been hit, thus far. No official Alliance colony has been actually been attacked, however as you can clearly see by the massive battle group, behind me, guarding the planet the Alliance is taking every precaution it can to protect its colonies that are near a mass relay."

The screen showed both Solen and Laforeck as they informed Citadel races on the issue. "What is the overall strategy of the Alliance?" she asked her co-anchorman.

"From what I was able to gather from Captain Tadius Ahern, the Alliance's strategy for the war is to minimize casualties, by forcing the Batarians to stretch their forces and engage the Alliance in their territory where they hold the advantage and have prepared heavy defenses."

"A sound strategy, but one that is also risky. Can the Alliance hold against a longer space-faring race?"

"True, however keep in mind that the Alliance navy, while immensely powerful, is approaching the size of the Volus and cannot risk the chance of stretching their forces. Sti-"

* * *

**SSV Shakespeare**

**Cruiser**

**Mess Hall**

Laforeck was interrupted by an Alliance soldier, who approached him, with weapon drawn. "Sir, you must leave this area now or take cover in the hangar bay."

Laforeck signaled the camera man, which was a Volus by the name of Bib Fide, to cut transmission. Fide did as instructed and lowered the camera.

"What is going on?" Laforeck asked clamly. His years in the Turian army has give him the experience to be calm in every scenario.

"We have just gotten word that the Batarian 9th fleet is about to attack! We need you to get to safety."

"As a turian, you can rest assured that I do not need any better treatment than any of you." Laforeck responded with grace and humility.

The Alliance soldier gave him, her sidearm. "Well take this then. If things get FUBAR, then you might as well be able to defend yourselves. If you need any more weapons take the mass effect powered rifles in the training hall."

"What is your…name Earth-clan." Fide asked.

"Jenifer." The Alliance soldier said as she departed to her assigned post.

"C'mon we need to gather better weapons and quit flirting with the female humans. They aren't going to chose a Volus over the plenty of males onboard this ship." Laforeck told his co-worker as they both walked towards the armory. Laforeck took the camera in hand as he was able to carry it far easier than his companion."

"You don't know…that. I might just…get lucky."

"As the humans say, keep dreaming."

Upon reaching the training range, Laforeck asked the requisitions officer for two rifles, a shotgun, and a sidearm.

"You do realize that if I do that, you will have to be under supervision. My supervision." The human stated.

"Yes, yes of course." Laforeck said with impatience.

"Alright. What's your name so I can put in the record?"

"Foarius Laforeck and my co-worker's name is Bib Fide." The requisition officer typed the information in his console and both the Turian and the Volus separate records popped up. Seeing how neither had a criminal record he gave each of the two reporters weapons and he himself took one.

"Don't you Earth-clan…have better weapons for…yourselves?' Fide asked.

"Pfft, that is only for soldiers. I'm only a requisition officer and as such, have access only to the weapons that I need to be in charge of. By the way my name is Daniel if you guys didn't notice the name tag." Embarrassingly enough, neither did notice, but were thankful that they were able to avoid a rather awkward moment.

Just then the sound of Admiral Ahern's voice could be heard. "Attention all Alliance vessels prepare for enemy contact. I repeat prepare for enemy contact." The ship shook as it moved into position, along for all other Alliance vessels for upcoming defense.

"Well this might just …be interesting." Fide said as he held up two pistols.

Daniel and Foaruis glanced at each other, not sharing the enthusiasm of their Volus companion.


	7. Chapter 7 - War

A/N: Here is the next chapter and please review, I really enjoy reading them. Don't make me beg like the last story please. Anyway enjoy.

* * *

3-3-2184 2034 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**SSV Terra Nova **

**Super carrier**

**Alliance Colony Rover**

Captain Ahern, a man at the age of 38 with brown short hair, was a relatively new captain in the alliance navy. Having graduated from the Citadel academy on Mars, he understood the concept of warfare. Standing in front of the holographic images of his ships, he watched as they got into combat formation. It wouldn't be long until the Batarian fleet would arrive in the system.

While the Alliance usually focuses on mobile defenses, they were keen enough to established fixed emplacements such as the rail gun cannons in orbit over the planet or the numerous nuclear mines near the relay.

At his disposal, Ahern had 56 Alliance ships, 2 super carriers, 3 carriers, 8 battle cruisers, 12 cruisers, 19 destroyers, and 12 frigates. It was a rather small battle group made mostly for routine patrols than frontline combat. Ahern was responsible for doing routine patrols in vector 15, which would mean covering 6 core worlds and an Elcor colony, spread out over various systems. Only two contain Mass Relays, which meant that only two areas were really prioritize. However, he had gotten a tip from an anonymous source saying the Batarians were poised to strike in this sector. Ahern relayed the information to Alliance Command, unfortunately they were more concerned with protecting colonies closer to Batarian territory. Nevertheless Ahern remained vigilant.

In charge of the Alliance ground force was Major Jen Rose; they numbered at 720,000 soldiers and an extra 6,000 militia spread through the planet. Unlike the Batarians, whom would use large numbers to overwhelm defenders, the Alliance prefers quality over quantity similar to that of the Salarians. While in case of war the Alliance army can become as large as 4.2 billion soldiers, however Alliance command was very reluctant to mobilized that many men and women.

"What is our current status?" Ahern asked his XO, a dark skinned man by the name Abur Jackson.

"We are currently at Def-Con 2, sir." Jackson replied with a thick Eastern European accent.

Ahern stared at the relay from the command deck of his super carrier. '_I can handle the action. But it's the waiting that kills me…the anticipation of wondering when the enemy is going to make his move.' _

Ahern was brought out of his thoughts, when Jackson informed of activity near the relay. "Captain the relay…it's powering up."

"Well time for the fireworks." Getting on all available Alliance ships' QEC, he said "All ships prepare for combat. The Colony and its people are counting on your to stop the barbarians here, god speed." He cut the connection and watched as hundreds of ships poured through the relay. Some of which, he had never seen. What little fear he had, was now gone as he was prepared to give his life for the Alliance.

"Quarry, get a message to the Alliance. Tell them we are under attack!"

"Message sent, Captain." Quarry, the ship's AI said.

* * *

**HSV Black Diamond**

**Dreadnought**

Rear Admiral Sidek Gef aligned his ships as best he could. He smiled at the improved armor his ships had, thanks to the Quarian's and their engineering skills.

"Sir, our ships are approaching the relay." An ensign informed him.

Smiling, Gef said "Good. Are the diversionary craft in position?" he asked.

"Yes sir. They are amassing with the first wave."

"Excellent." What Gef was referring to was the numerous outdated frigates scheduled for decommission. Unlike other Batarian commander's, Gef was not naïve and arrogant. He was cunning and ruthless and was able to find a weakness in his enemies.

Prior to the discovery of the Systems Alliance, the Hegemony was, unquestionably, the most powerful associate race of Citadel space. Over 18 billion of its inhabitants were in arms and another 72 million in reserves, though these were the unlucky slaves force to fight for their freedom. The Batarian navy once had 8 fleets with 400 vessels in each, however with the Quarian's engineering skills and the Collector's technology, the Batarian navy now had over 16 fleets, double what they once had in 2178. Both their military and economy, though not by much, increased slowly bidding their time to strike at the Alliance. They could also count on various mercenaries and slaver groups to aid them in their attack if it ever came to war with the other races.

After various calculations were made, the Hegemony concluded that only through relay 748, the most lightly guarded, yet furthest away from Batarian territory, was the only route in which they could launch an attack. Despite this, they knew that if the worst came to pass, they could find themselves fighting the whole Citadel races, however they an ace in the hole, the Collectors.

Gef wickedly smiled as he was about to be the first Batarian ever to burn an Alliance colony to the ground.

As his ships neared the relay, Gef made one last statement to all 600 of his ships, aided by 250 Quarian warships, though reluctantly, and 400 collector cruisers. "Take pride my fellow brothers, today we erase this stain on our honor! Rejoice the blight of the galaxy is about to meet its end!" Cheers were heard all over the radio.

* * *

**SSV Terra Nova **

**Super carrier**

"Sir, we have contact with over one thousand ships, about 400 of which are unidentified! The rest are either Batarian or…Quarian!?" Jackson was left speechless. He would have never guessed that the Quarian's would blindly attack any military super power. '_Well there's a first time for everything.' _He thought.

The unidentified grey vessels appeared round-ish in nature, having a honey combed design. The armor plating showed the protection and armor that it had attached. The massive cannon, or what Jackson thought to be the cannon in the middle of the ship, looked like it could do some damage.

"Detonate mines at defensive line Alpha and I want those orbital Ion cannons firing now!" Ahern ordered.

Near the relay a massive fireball of nuclear fire enveloped over 87 frigate class vessels and 5 of the strange ships, destroying them all in a bright light.

Ahern couldn't place it, but he felt something wasn't right. _'Surely they Batarians know about the mines, so why are they sacrificing so many ships?'_ He questioned in his head

He was brought out of his thoughts when his ship shook from the alien ordinance as it struck the hull. Alarms started blaring on the bridge. " Damage report!", Ahern yelled.

"We've got multiple hull-breaches: starboard side! Decompression on decks: 5, 8, and 10! We have several casualties!"

"Sealing all exposed decks." Quarry said.

"Scramble all fighters and bombers and get us even as far as away as you can from the enemy ships! Jackson get me a line to Major Rose!" Ahern ordered. Even though his carriers were in the rear of the battle group, a few of the unidentified ships were able to hit them, even from that range. Ahern didn't think it was possible, but here he was seeing otherwise.

"On it. Sir, the Ion cannons are firing." Jackson informed the Captain. He was at work, multitasking between setting up the connection to the Alliance ground forces, and trying to update the Captain of any new developments of the battle. The AI Quarry saw this and took over informing the captain of new developments.

In geosynchronous orbit above the planet were fifteen heavy rail gun cannons. Each locked on an enemy ship, the muzzles of their cannons aimed towards the unknowns. Their barrels flared in silence as they fired their shots. However the Collectors, though the Alliance was not yet aware of their name, were aware of the Alliance's defensive capabilities and made sure to place frigates in their path. 45 frigates and 1 unlucky Collector cruiser was destroyed.

"Sir, Major Rose is on the line." Jackson informed the Admiral.

On the holo-projector, the image of Major Rose appeared. She was naturally tan, with bundled up black hair. She was wearing Alliance armor, it seems she too was expecting trouble.

"Captain what the hell is going on!?" Rose demanded.

"Major Rose, we are under attack. I need you to mobilize your men as quickly as you can!"

"W-hat..are you bullshitting me!?"

"'I'm an Alliance navy captain, bullshitting isn't in my job description. Now I need you to prepare your ground forces."

"Alright. Good luck Captain." Major Rose disconnected, leaving Ahern with a crew depending on him to get them out of this situation.

Ahern turned to his AI. "Quarry, can you hack into the unidentified ships and see if you can find any intel on them?"

"I'll try my best captain." Quarry then proceeded to try to hack his way into the enemy ships. At his first attempted he saw that the ships had superior cyber warfare suits as the regular methods weren't getting him access to the ships, so he tried something risky. He temporarily shut down his defenses, and just as he thought the species attempted to hack into the ship, however he immediately isolated their connection and began investigating their firewalls.

* * *

**HSV Black Diamond**

**Dreadnought**

Gef stood in the CIC of his dreadnought looking at the enemy's forces; he had already sent the Quarian ships to land troops on the planet, and the Collector ships fired on the Alliance ships along with the Batarians.

When the battle began the Collector vessels were able to fire at the Alliance super carrier approximately 53,000 km away, though it merely scratched the vessel. The Alliance ships responded by firing their main guns and managed to destroy sixteen frigates and five cruisers. Then six Alliance frigates disappeared using their worm-hole drive, only to appear to his ship's left. With his ship's pointing their main guns at the destroyers and cruisers, the Alliance frigates unleashed hell firing all of their missiles, torpedoes, and main guns. They destroyed ten cruisers and one dreadnought, however numbers where still on his side.

Gef watched as his ships tried to turn around engage the Alliance frigates, only for them to disappear again and reappear right next to their blasted carriers.

_'No doubt they are rearming for another attack.'_ Gef thought as he watched the frigates dock with the carriers and began receiving armaments and repairs.

"I want half of our frigates to start landing troops on the planet. Launch all fighters to target their ships, get our cruisers to overwhelm and collapse the enemy's ships shields." Gef ordered one of his ensigns.

"Yes sir, right away." His men proceeded to carry out his orders like a well train crew. Unlike most Batarian sailors, Batarian soldiers of the 9th tactical brigade were above standards of the average soldier. In fact one general even stated that 'If they were any better, they'd be SIU's.'

* * *

In space the Batarian fleet frigate's attempted to land troops on the planet, however they were harassed and destroyed by Alliance destroyers. The Alliance cruisers engaged the Collector vessels. They fired half of their geothermal missiles and disruptor torpedoes at the Collector battle group, trying to destroy or cripple their ships before getting anywhere close to the Rail gun platforms. The Alliance cruisers were able to destroy fifteen Collector cruisers at the cost of six of their own. A collector cruiser had a large Mass Accelerator able to fire 59 kilotons of firepower at the rate of every 8 seconds, however the Alliance cruisers held strong.

The Alliance spacecraft numbered at 5,625, consisting of bombers, fighters, and drones. The Batarians however had 8,378 interceptors and 1,234 bombers. Even though the Alliance hawks were out-numbered they had an advantage in quality. During the first stage of the dogfight the Batarian pilots realized that the enemy fighters now had kinetic barriers, which cost them about 239 of their own fighters. The Batarians managed to regroup and placed each other into squadrons to target the Alliance hawks, it managed to work and the Alliance lost 78 fighters. It continued to work, until the Alliance unleashed its 450 Eagles to intercept the Batarian bombers and fighters. Risking total annihilation of their bombers, a tenth of the Batarian fighters disengaged to protect their bombers. However, the Alliance then ordered their bombers, escorted by ARC drones to make attack dive runs on weaken enemy ships. A total of six Batarian cruisers and fifteen frigates were destroyed, however 56 bombers were lost. An Alliance frigate was destroyed after concentrated fire from Batarian bombers and cruisers.

The _SSV Germany, _an Alliance destroyer, managed to take out two Collector cruisers. Managing to use its superior speed to close from the rear, the _SSV Germany _engaged the cruisers at a range of just over 300 meters. It fired all of its EMP warheads and missiles on one, which it attempted to evade the barrage, allowing the destroyer to fire its PAC and rail gun cannon on the other, effectively destroying it. The ship then target the other cruiser, slightly weaken from the attack, and fired its main cannons and point defense guns. The cruiser exploded in a large fireball as debris from both ships floated in space. The _SSV Germany_ then pulled back, using the debris as cover, to avoid getting swarmed by the Batarian cruisers.

The enemy had split into two groups. The Batarian ships were coordinating their barrages, ensuring that maximum damage would be done. About thirty of the Collector cruisers made a breakneck run towards the planet, their hasty rush cost them sixteen cruisers and three Quarian frigates.

One might have asked why the Batarians were fighting the enemy instead of retreating. The answer was they wanted to sow fear into the Alliance, showing that their territory no matter how far could and would be attacked by the Hegemony. Already evacuations of civilians were underway in major cities on the planet. One of these cities was New Flora, named for its display of beautiful flowers found in the city's ecosystem nearby. Ironically enough, a large crocodilian like creature also lived in these areas, but were more tranquil and lived from eating plants and fruit rather than meat.

* * *

**SSV Shakespeare **

**Cruiser**

Commander Sanjii Gupta had not been expecting to fight on the frontlines. He was the son of two merchants from the colony world of Central, and had chosen the navy due to his fascination of military science.

This was his first tour of duty as a commander, and the first engagement where he was fighting a national army, not measly pirates. He was as nervous as he had adrenaline rushing through him.

However, now his ship was being boarded by Batarians and he ordered the Alliance troopers to meet them head-on.

From the bridge, he watched as two more frigates made a turn towards his ship and began orienting themselves for an attack run. "Ferguson fire the main cannon at the two frigates at vector J-3." He commanded.

"Aye, sir. Firing…now. HAHA! Now that's a sight!" Ferguson cheered as the two frigates were destroyed.

Gupta was impressed as 85 kilotons of firepower completely annihilated the ships, however he did not get cocky as his ship was still taking fire from the Batarian ship port side that forcibly docked with them At this range he couldn't order the main cannons to fire on the enemy ship or else his own ship would be destroyed in the ensuing explosion. Broadside cannons on both ships exchanged fire as explosions and rounds shook the ships.

The sensor operator called over to him, "Shields are holding at 58%! Rerouting engine power to the shields! Sir, I recommend we ditch the Batarians fast, because we are a sitting duck right now.

Gupta grimaced. He had to destroy the Batarian ship or he, along with his crew, would be destroyed by incoming fire.

"Have the ship launch the disruptor torpedoes." Gupta commanded.

"Aye, sir." Ferguson replied.

An Alliance force were on their way to sever the docking tube via the ships airlock, however they had meet resistance along the way. It was up to these brave and well trained soldiers to free the ship and take out the Batarians.

* * *

**SSV Shakespeare**

**Cruiser**

**Deck 6**

"This is…epic Earth-clan!" Fide shouted as he fired his pistols. He shot one Batarian in the eye and another in the neck. So far he had managed to get the most hits out of all the squad, which was seven in total. The squad comprised of three Alliance troopers, a medical officer named 'Doc', Fide, Laforeck, and Daniel. The Volus took cover, just about a Batarian sniper fired.

"How in the hell is a Volus beating all of you!" Sergeant Spice shouted. He was utterly embarrassed that a Volus was beating him, a trained soldier in the Alliance army, and no matter how much he tried he simply couldn't beat him.

"Guy's got talent." Jenifer said. The other Alliance soldier gave a nod as he agreed with her assessment.

Spice turned his attention to the medical officer, who simply said 'I'm a medical officer, not a soldier! I shouldn't even be fighting!"

Spice grabbed him by the shirt and said "You are in a war zone. If you're not shooting you're fucking dead!"

Doc swallowed and shaking, he agreed to continue to fight, though armed with only a side-arm that wasn't too much plausible.

The team was taking heavy fire as a platoon sized force began suppressing them and started to advance. "Damn someone get a grenade over there!" Spice shouted. To answer his wish, a batarian soldier threw a grenade and it landed four feet from them.

"He didn't just…."

"Shit." Both Spice and Doc cringed at the sight of the grenade and they each hugged their cover. If they were to attempt to get the grenade and throw it back, they would be exposed to incoming fire.

Just as all hope was lost, out of nowhere came the greatest sight they have ever seen. Dashing into the battlefield Lt. Fullerton kicked the grenade towards the batarians and it detonated right above their heads, killing five of them. He then fired his rail carbine in short bursts, killing three Batarians by shooting them in their eyes, neck, and torso. He ducked immediately into cover right next to the misfit team as the position he was held was swarmed by heavy fire.

He began speaking to them. "Alright the hallway is narrow so we can't fight our way through, but I have an O.I.T team going around the Batarians backs and they should be there….now."

In the rear of the Batarian lines, eight O.I.T troopers disintegrated any soldier with four eyes with their Tesla cannons. These guns were made primarily for heavy armor, however the Alliance soon saw that they also made great infantry weapons. They had low recoil and great accuracy, however the cannons drawback was its rate of fire. As one trooper put it 'you only need one shot. Anything more…and its overkill'.

The team breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks we owe you one." Spice said.

"Don't mention it, however there is still more and we could use the help. The captain wants me to disengage the docking sequence, however I'm going to need help as a company sized force is guarding all hangars or hallways leading to it." Fullerton informed them.

Each member of the team stared at the insanity of the Titan. He was actually considering engaging a company sized force.

"How do you…propose to get to…the…" Fide began to say, but was interrupted by Fullerton.

"Well I have two marine and six O.I.T squads ready to jump lift over there through space, however I was thinking you could use super strength cables to fire and latch on the ship. From there all you need to do is rappel towards the ship guns blazing."

"ARE YOU INSANE!? Why not just use the airlock!" Doc yelled.

"The airlock is being guarded on the Batarian side, as we've learned following 6th squad. All nine troopers were killed, however they got us useful information. Now who's with me."

Everyone, but Doc stepped forward and Fullerton motioned them to follow the O. . Fullerton turned his head to Doc, who said "You can count me out." He had his arms crossed and didn't appear to budge.

"Alright. Just be careful with the firefights happening throughout the ship. Also watch out for Batarian stragglers, they'll rape you, then kill you regardless of gender." Fullerton said as he began walking away.

"Hey wait up, I changed my mind." Doc said and immediately began running towards the Titan. Underneath his helmet, Fullerton smiled.

In space, the fleets drew closer to one another as the fighters met head on. Bombers were damaging and crippling ships all over the place. The barrage from the Ion cannons destroyed seven Collector cruisers and eight Batarian frigates.

The broadsword bombers stayed close to their carriers as they tried to pick off damaged frigates and cruisers, while Hawks and Eagle fighter engaged the Batarian interceptors. ARC drones were also wreaking havoc on the enemy fleet providing much needed numbers and distractions. The Batarians lost 60 bombers and interceptors to the ARC drones alone.

The Alliance ships, minus the carriers and their corvette escort, and Batarian ships met face to face and the battle became a free for all. Batarian cruisers fired at the Alliance battle cruisers, but their rounds were harmlessly absorbed by the shields. The Collector cruisers and Batarian dreadnoughts fared better, destroying four frigates and a destroyers. Most of the frigates used their superior speed and maneuverability to avoid most of the fire.

Two Alliance battle cruisers paired up and targeted both the strongest and furthest ships away, using their long range to maximum effect.

The ion cannons were in danger as three were destroyed from combined fire, though the enemy lost seven cruisers and fifty-nine frigates.

* * *

**Alliance Colony Rover **

**Maelemen city **

**Rover Defense HQ**

Major Rosen had been watching the whole battle on the holo-screen, through satellites. It was going reasonably well. The Batarian's vast numbers were the main problem. However, what intrigued her more were the unknown ships fighting alongside the Batarians. Despite this, she believed that the Alliance would win this battle, but only at the cost of many brave men and women.

However, Rosen was currently busy mobilizing planet-wide defenses. The Quarian, Batarian, and a few of the unknown ships had breached the atmosphere and were deploying shuttles. Alliance AA guns were pounding the enemy ships, however there were just too many. After losing fifty trying to land in the city, the shuttles started deploying their troops away from AA fire in the forest surrounding the city, no doubt gathering strength to make a push.

She smiled at the fact that the outskirts of the city contain a beast that even the Alliance feared, the Bokari. The Bokari were quad-ped animals that had black skin with razor sharp claws. They had one tail, but it branched off to three at the end, their faces were covered by natural plating armor and they had four red orbs for eyes that allowed them to see well at night and in the day. They were six feet long, five feet high, and can weigh up to two hundred pounds of muscle. Initial settlers came into hostile contact with these beasts. Entire town occupants were found dead with deep claw marks embedded into their skins. When it was learned that the beasts were not only intelligent, but also posses the ability to understand human language, as the Bokari also communicated orally through sound. It became clear these animals were either protecting their territory or were naturally vicious creatures. As Alliance settlers built away from Bokari territory, attacks became nonexistent. After humans became a part of the planet, contact with Bokari became less and less hostile. In fact Alliance scientists were able to determine that they had a culture similar to wolves on Earth, however these animals were not domesticated as they already possessed higher thought processes. They were the apex predators on this planet and the Batarians were soon going to find out why.

"Are the city's defenses up?"

"Yes, ma'am. They are online. Various sensitive buildings are now on lockdown. Troopers and mechs are patrolling the city streets, along with some militia. Majority of civilians are secured in hospitals, subway systems, and bunkers."

"Good. Fire the kinetic rods." She ordered.

Following the impressive display from the Raloi's kinetic rods on ships. The Alliance decided to place them on their colony worlds as an added layer for protection. However they were few in number and only core worlds received them first.

Across the Northern Cite continent, forty rod silos appeared and began targeting the sky. Each silo contained twenty rods, all launched at Batarians and unknown ships. There trails lit the night sky as they showed a clear message to any Batarian invader, the Alliance will never break.

* * *

**Rover **

**Batarian shuttle**

Sergeant Bajo Ilec sat in his shuttle with three combat teams of Batarian soldiers, flying in the sky of the enemy's world. There were thousands of shuttles landing and deploying troops across the continent, however 45% were committed to the city with the most numerous populace. Following the heavy bombardment from frigates on the city, the majority of Alliance presence was either dead or scattered.

Their mission was to land at the outskirts of the planet's capital city, set up a base of operations, and then press into the city until it was captured. If the opportunity presented itself, then they were ordered to capture slaves for the Hegemony.

Ilec looked out the view screen that showed the view outside the shuttle. They were currently approaching a forest and he could see the highlights of the city beyond it. He estimated that it was 8 kilometers from their location. As he continued to watch, he saw large missiles rising into the sky heading towards the Allied ships. Their launch brighten the dark horizon. Soon dozens of their frigates and a couple of their cruisers were either destroyed or crippled forcing them to land into enemy territory.

He shuddered at the idea of having to face the locals.

"All shuttles this is General Ilinous Cornel. As you may or may not know, there were Alliance missiles launched into the sky that managed to destroy a few of our ships. They are being jammed, however our mission stays the same. The enemy city is just 8 kilometers way and were are to capture it and take slaves and hostages in case the Alliance reinforcements arrive. Good luck."

"We're eight clicks out people get ready," Ileck called out as he saw his squad check and double check their gear.

The shuttle landed and Ilek and the combat team that he was in command of quickly vacated the shuttle. Around them other squads and teams were exiting their shuttles. Hundreds of infantry and tanks were offloaded. Ilec had never seen so many Batarians on an enemy world.

Their comm's sparked to life "Alright men, we'll set up an HQ here and we'll start advancing into the city. First and second battalions, I want you to head into the city and engage any targets. " Cornel ordered.

After five minutes the Battalion of Batarians and Quarians headed out into the forest, unaware that they were being stalked the moment they had landed.

In the forest watching the batarians from afar was Kier, the chieftain of the six-hundred Bokari in the region. They gathered reconnaissance on the Batarians squads and prioritized separated squads. They de-cloaked and headed into the forest ready to hunt and kill their prey. If there was one thing the Bokari loved, it was the hunt. The bigger the hunt, the more Bokari gather from different clans.

As if to signal the hunt. A massive deep howl vibrated throughout the country side. It was heard all the way through the city, and immediately the few Alliance citizens that hadn't evacuated, locked and barricaded their doors.

Sergeant Ilec and his mean had been walking for about thirty minutes. A few of them were a bit paranoid following the series of howls that were heard a bit earlier. Within the safety of their vehicles, the Batarians filed out. The Batarians and Quarians were so focused on reaching the city that they failed to pay attention to the grass, which were being separated by a no visible source.

Suddenly three Quarians on the far left disappeared, screaming as a unknown force snatch them. Trails of blood stained the ground and screams were heard, followed by screeches of growls and the sound of bodies being torn apart. Suddenly the screams and cries for help stopped and bones were launched towards the Batarians.

Ilec saw the bones of the Quarians remains. The body was stripped of all meat, down to the bone. The sight petrified a Batarian who decided to run off, only to be torn to shreds by an animal that couldn't be seen. A few Batarians fired at the poor Batarian, hoping to kill the animal. A deep whine, and drips of green blood leaked on the Batarian, possibly from the animal.

"EVERYONE STICK TOGETHER!" shouted Ilec. His men attempted to follow his orders and stuck close to the vehicles. Growls and howls came from the forests and a few Batarians shot off.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE! Don't waste any ammo." Ordered Ileck.

"HOLD FIRE!? DID YOU NOT SEE THOSE MEN GET TORN APART BY INVISIBLE ANIMALS!" A private shouted.

"I did, but don't you think those beasts are waiting for you to waste your ammo to make you an easier target."

The private swallowed deeply as he let Ilec's information sink in.

"Now calm down and get back in file." Ilec ordered. When Ilec saw that the troops were ready to move again he ordered them to proceed into the city. Those riding in the vehicles were thankful that they weren't exposed to what was out there.

They did not get far, before more Bokari descended upon them and attacked. Batarian and Quarian troops were them torn apart by the creatures. Yellow and red blood mixed together as they were bitten, clawed, and disemboweled. However a Batarain managed to get a luck shot and kill one of the creatures. The body de-cloaked and the troops got a look at what they were facing. The sight of the creature caused some Batarians to clutch their rifles closer. What they saw was a creature honed to kill.

Then Ilec noticed something strange, the attacks stopped. Groans and cries from the injured were ignored as the soldiers attempted find where the creatures had gone.

"Humph, looks like they aren't so tough once their dea…." The soldier in questioned stopped, when all of a sudden around the forest, hundreds of Bokari growled. De-cloaking, the Batarians soon saw the size of each creature, some were even larger than the one the soldier killed.

"I think you killed a youngling." Ilek muttered.

"GET US OUT OF HERE!" A private, riding on top of an APC yelled. The driver, and others, wasted no time flooring the vehicles leaving the infantry to fend for themselves. That was when the Bokari attacked.

Ilec had managed to take cover underneath a rock. When he looked at his men, he saw the creatures were ripping apart as they tried to run for their lives. He saw one of the Quarian females tried to omni-stab one of the creatures in the head, however the natural plating was too thick. The Quarian backed away from it slowly from the creature who began walking forward as if toying with the Quarian. She continued backing until her back hit a tree. Saliva poured down her suit and when she looked up, she screamed as she saw a Bokari jumped down to kill her. The two Bokari attacked and tore her body in half. They were throwing dismembered bodies as if they were rag dolls. He saw as one Batarian tried to run, but one of the creatures jumped on his back and began eating him from his legs. Ileck was extremely horrified now as he watched a good Batarian get eaten alive, the poor solider screamed and cried as immense pain filled his remains as he was devoured. Yellow blood splattered from his body. Another Quarian was grabbed by four Bokari, from the legs and arms and was pulled apart. The poor Quarian yelled as his limbs were severed. The only thing that was left was the upper body, and the poor Quarian was still alive to feel the pain and blood spilled from his remains. Maybe that was the point in the way the creatures were attacking, inspire as much pain and fear as possible.

The Batarain troops tried to fire back with their arms, and some were successful as they managed to kill a few, however they were soon maimed by the creatures who overwhelmed them.

Knowing he would die if he remained there, he made a run for the city. "Advanced into the city!" he called out. He imagine that the creatures would have sealed off all routes leading to the main HQ and he didn't think the creatures were dumb enough to attack 800,000 troops that had access to heavy arms.

He didn't know if any had managed to follow him, but Ilec was only focused on running and didn't look back. He made it all the way out of the forest and saw the city was close.

He heard footsteps behind them and looked back to see a fifteen Quarians and Batarians following. Ileck wondered how the collectors were faring on the isolated human settlements.

Then something made him, along with the other Quarians and Batarians, trip and fall forward on their faces. He turned around and looked down to see his feet were strap together with some sort of strap, then a net above them deployed.

From the edge of the forest, a squad of A.C.S de-cloaked and Ileck counted sixty Alliance soldiers stood up from their hidden cover. They were visibly camouflage, having uniforms matching the terrain, with local fauna and grass strapped on their uniforms in a ghillie suit.

_'This is why we have had such a hard time with the turians lately, the Alliance has been practically training them how to counter us.' _Ilec thought as he remembered reading reports of turian black watch squads firing from out of nowhere.

* * *

**Rover **

**Maelemen city Suburbs.**

Hell. That was the shortest word to describe the situation in the capital city of Rover. After gaining air supremacy over the continent, the Batarians started to destroy any planetary guns and anti-ship turrets around the city. Once that was done, swarms and swarms of bombers and fighters were launched and engaged to planet's air force, however they were pushed back.

The evening sky overhead was streaked with smoke and flame, and lit up by mass accelerator and missile fire. Smoke billowed from the half-dozen ruined buildings. Rivers of ammunition cut through any infrastructure. In the distance the Captain John Bradley could hear the crack, roar, and thunder of artillery fire.

Within the city limits, Alliance troopers were laying mines and Claymores in strategic areas. All routes heading towards the HQ were barricaded with junk, some vehicles, and other things. Captain Bradley was leading a platoon size force of 64 men and women.

"Sir any idea what Major Rosen has in mind. Setting up these barricades seems a lot of work to stop the Batarians." Connor asked.

"Well, Connor the point is to delay them as much as possible, you know wait until reinforcements and ambush as many times as you can." Bradley replied.

"Cap, I see Batarian movement just under 500 meters. Mostly light and heavy armor. No sign of any infantry." Foley informed him. As an elite sniper, Foley peered down the street and the clusters of hundreds of enemy element zero signatures. The size determined that it was mostly vehicles and not infantry, which in urban warfare was good for ambushes.

The perimeter security walls had been breached in the initial assault, when the batarian fleet had bombarded the city's automated defense systems from orbit. Over a hundred shuttles had attempted to land within the city, however for their efforts they'd been wiped out by AA fire.

Bradley peered through the barricade and saw the Batarians coming. "Alright everyone dig in and hide. We are going to give these four eyes some military lessons on why you always have infantry guarding heavy armor." The men and women began hiding in trees, behind tall grass, and behind and inside the houses in the street.

Whatever remained of the 1st and 2nd Hegemony Battalions reached a roadblock. Immediately the highest ranking officer, Warrant officer Gec Heil ordered to advanced with the heavy tanks in the front, which was a big mistake. Underneath the tanks on the road were remote detonation mines made for tanking out heavy armor. Jones pressed the detonator and the lead tank shot up in flames. Connor immediately fired a Guardian missile at the rear, creating a kill box. The blasts impacted the rear squads that had disembarked instantly killing them. Their bodies were charred and smoky, but a few were still alive. This quickly changed when Foley and Sherman put bullets in their torso's and skull's .

The remaining Batarian infantry dismounted and began firing, using their vehicles to good effect, however since they couldn't detect where the Alliance forces were exactly there were not effective. A rocket-grenade exploded on the far side, followed by a couple of glowing pulses of energy. The volume of fire continued to grow, and Bradley figured that the Batarians had an idea of where he was. He ordered the Alliance forces out of the homes. Firing his grenade launcher, Bradley was able to take out a squad of Quarian engineers.

A burst of rounds impacted the ground near Connors, cutting the ground near him. He fired his light machine gun and suppressed the infantry. He knew he couldn't stay put, so he dashed to the nearest safe cover, which was a nearby tree. Then an enemy APC pulled out of the street and into the forest firing randomly, but managing to injure a few soldiers. Connors ducked as one of the rounds hit 22 meters from where he was standing. "Ugh, damn that was a close one." Getting on the radio, he said, "Hey Jones are you going to take out that APC?"

A missile detonated a few meters away as the APC was severely damaged. The crew tried to get off, only to be cut down by Connors machine gun.

"Satisfied Connors?" The sound of Jones voice was heard over the radio.

"Very." Connors replied. Firing his weapon, he could see the enemy drawing closer as the enemy infantry pushed down the street. Soon enough incoming fire picked up, slashing down the street toward the Alliance line.

Foley and Sherman tried to pick them off from a slightly elevated positioned near a boulder overlooking the street. They ducked low as an Ogre tank's round impacted the rock. Foley gritted his teeth as the impact damaged his ears. "I'm going need to see a doctor about that." Foley stated, getting back up and firing at the enemy infantry.

"Don't worry it'll be fine." Sherman stated. Her shields flashed, bullets flattening against the mass effect fields her suit threw up to deflect incoming rounds.

"Shit." she rasped as she ducked back down to recharge her shields.

Foley merely laughed at this.

"Shut the hell up Foley." She demanded. Foley continued to laugh a little bit, however he soon focused on fighting back the enemy.

Bradley and Jones were near the front, delivering and taking heavy fire. A rocket-grenade detonated a few meters away. Mass accelerator rounds smashed into the debris on all sides of their cover, while armor-piercing rounds lanced straight through the concrete and thin metal of destroyed buildings and cars. A squad of Alliance soldiers were killed as the heavy armor started to move out. Bradley looked back and saw a breach in the security wall thirty meters away. A blue light flashed twice indicating the breach had been booby trapped for the Batarian tanks. Bradley could now evac his troops out, however running meant that they would be exposed to the heavy fire that they were facing. "Foley, Sherman, cover the withdrawl. Alright everyone we are falling back. Standard formation."

From Foley's location, he tapped a few commands at the lap top that he had. This activated the surrounding drones to activate, that until now had been hidden. Heavy fire impacted the Batarian line. The Alliance soldiers started to fall back . Half of the platoon retreated as the other half covered their retreat.

Once they had reached Foley's position, they provided covering fire as Bradley and his group fell back. "Fall back everyone!" Bradley ordered them.

Bradley had a laser designator trained on the armed convoy and soon Alliance rapiers descended down upon them like a hawk stalking its prey. Artillery and rapier fire covered their retreat into the city. The Battalions of Batarian and Quarian infantry were reduced to companies of men, as they tried to find cover from the heavy Alliance bombardment . Using superior numbers they managed to inflict causalities to the Alliance as they retreated.

* * *

**Rover**

**Maelemen city**

A company of Batarian SIU soldiers, under the command of Jorth' Abed, were currently traveling as fast as they could under the cover of night. They had so far been able to avoid detection, but the streets were starting to get crowded with Alliance militia and soldiers. They were getting close to their objective. Mobad, the navigator for the company, identified a supply depot that they could regroup in and plan their next move. Motion trackers and thermal vision showed that the depot was currently empty. Mobad activated a hologram showing the layout of the city.

"We're here." he pointed to the depot they were currently in. "Our target is about two blocks away," he pointed to the location of the Alliance tanks they were targeting.

"We won't be able to reach those tanks like this. The streets are crawling with human soldiers and we're pretty close to their front line." said Bore, the company's head sniper.

"Well bring them on. I prefer to fight my way towards the objective, than doing all of this sneaking around." replied Abal, making sure her LMG was loaded.

"We'd get overrun pretty quickly. And we don't have the firepower to blast ourselves out." said Jibab.

"If we can capture this building here," Mobad said pointing to a sky scrapper a block away, "I should be able to use the designator to call in an airstrike on the tanks."

"Well let's get to it." said Abal anxious to get in the fight.

"Everyone has their silencers on?" Jorth asked the company. Everyone gave a nod. "Alright let's go." he said.

Half of the company took off towards the objectve, while the other half stayed in place providing over watch.

As Jorth's team rounded another corner, they ducked into an alley as a squad of local militia passed through. Jorth gave the order and silently the militia riflemen were easily killed. Their bodies were hidden to avoid enemy presence.

Reaching the door to the building , Modad said "Okay lets see what we are up against." Looking through the door using a flexible camera, he saw a squad of Alliance soldiers in the hallway. "Looks like a squad in the hallway, but its likely there are more. Maybe a platoon or a company."

"Us versus a few hundred human soldiers, we've faced worse." Abal spoke up.

"The lack of intel on the number of soldiers in the building is going to be the real problem. Good thing there's only one though. Mobad pick the lock.

Mobad got to work picking the lock on the door, and once the door was open Jorth silently opened the door. The Alliance soldiers had the back turned to him and quietly Jorth approached the first one. Quickly he grabbed the human in a shield and fired his pistol at two of them. Before the last one could raise his gun, he was killed by a headshot from Bore's rifle. Jorth snapped the neck of the human he was holding.

"Let's move Echo, times a wasting." Jorth ordered them.

With a plan formed the team set off to get into position. Bore, Abal, and Jab, the demolitionist, went to the nearest window. Mobad scanned the building and found there were no more remaining hostiles.

The waited until the sound of Alliance tanks could be heard. Jorth gave the order and fire was poured on the Alliance soldiers. "Heads up Echo we have company."

Jorth proved to be right. Not even ten seconds later after they taken out the tanks, they came under heavy fire. Humans came running towards them in droves. All firing their rifles in full blaze in target areas. Jorth's company fired on the humans soldiers with their new particle beam rifles, given to them by the collectors. The humans shields were only able to stop so much bolts from the batarian weapons as they went down with two good shots to the head or multiple to their bodies.

Abal fired her machine gun, cutting entire rows of soldiers at a time. Jab fired his rocket launcher at the infantry killing dozens of soldiers. By know the Alliance deployed their drones, and they targeted the building.

"Everyone move from the windows." Jorth said as he ran back. Almost an instant later the place he once was destroyed as the Alliance drones poured heavy fire into the area. Jorth saw 20 batarians were killed

The humans were still closing in on them and they were pinned down. Jorth analyzed the situation as his shields recharged. Despite his best efforts, the humans were slowly encircling them. Their situation was not good. Right now he needed a miracle.

A miracle was delivered in the form of a missile blowing up a squad of Alliance soldiers, along with a drone. Jorth turned his head to where the shot came from and was overjoyed to see the other half of the batarian SIU company firing down the street. As the humans turned their attention to the other half of the company, Jorth's team once again fired from their position. The enemy soldiers were pumped full of fire as missile and grenades poured down on the Alliance.

The humans, now exposed on two sides, scrambled to find cover, however there wasn't any in the streets below. The Alliance deployed smoke grenades to cover their retreat. "Switch to thermal." Jorth ordered.

The Alliance used their drones to cover their escape, however about a dozen were still wounded in the retreat. BOOM! the sound of a large explosion was heard as Jab fired a missile and destroyed the human drones.

"Command, this is Jorth. Mission is a success."

"We read you over. Jorth take your men and fall back to the shuttles we are pulling out."

"WHAT? Why?" Abal asked dumfounded by the order.

"We accomplished our purpose here. We were never meant to capture the planet, but show we can strike at the humans anywhere. Now fall back, how! The 65th and 34th volunteer brigades will cover your retreat."

"Copy that." Jorth then turned his attention to his men. "Alright, you all heard command we are pulling out." Jorth took his company and retreated back the way they came.

* * *

3-4-2184 0100 hours, (Citadel Standard time)

* * *

**The next day**

The Batarians had hit the city hard. Their frigates bombarded buildings and bridges making heavy armor almost impossible to navigate the ruin streets. Nearly all Alliance forces stationed in the city were gone, so Alliance command made defensive deployments and were planning a counter attack. No one knew when that was going to happen, but every Alliance soldier within 300 miles was praying it would be soon.

Sergeant Jeremy Thompson took cover as fire from Batarian bombers impacted near his position.

Over the speakers, the voice of the Major was heard. "This is command to the 57th tactical battalion, we are currently busy evacuating civilians. Heading your way are over two brigades of enemy soldiers. You are all that we have in area so you will need to hold off as long as you can. I have a company of local militia and the 128th infantry battalion heading you way, however they will take time."

"Roger that ma'am, out." replied Commander Blake Wolf. He turned to his men who were on the frontlines with him. "Alright, all you I'm sure have heard that. Now I do not need to tell you what happens if they get past us, so let's make sure we don't." If the enemy breached this position they would flood through and attack the civilians in the city.

The sound of heavy tracks rolling on gravel was soon heard, followed by the explosion of a Batarian ogre tank's main cannon. As soon as the Batarian advance was within visual range, a series of explosions rocked the enemy armored advanced. After a few of their tanks were destroyed, their set up lines were in disarray. To mount any sort of attack the enemy had to either mad rush the Alliance line or pull their armor back as they were being torn apart, however they still had many tanks, APCs, and troops remaining. Batarian and Quarian troops, using the cover of their armored vehicles fire, rushed forward firing their rifles, taking the Alliance forces by surprise and inflicting casualties. Their armor fired heavy rounds killing or suppressing the Alliance forces.

Commander Wolf's sensors displayed the number of enemy contacts. There were more than a hundred enemy troops incoming, advancing up the street by companies. Far, far too many for him or his men to take alone. Wolf, however did not let this faze him and along with his men stared down the belly of the beast.

As the start of the barrage ended turian snipers, that were on planet in part of the soldier exchange program, shot any lightly armored soldier that they saw with their hawk-like eyes. Guardian troops and O. appeared on the demolished roofs and in the mid level windows of the buildings. They poured down heavy fire into the streets trying to thin out the huge mass of troops. Grenades were dropped in front of the enemy advanced, explosions were destroying the area even further, and Sgt. Thompson was in the middle of it.

"Riley get suppressive fire on the right flank, Davidson fire the guardian and take out that Quarian floating tank!" Behind him, craters were made from the blasts of the heavy tank. He saw a radio operator prone on the ground. Thompson tapped him on the soldier, but he didn't move. Thompson tapped him again and when he didn't get a response he turned the operator over. It was then that he saw that the radio operator was dead and there was a bullet in the radio set. He cursed to himself. They needed help right now. To answer his prayers heavy missile fire wreaked havoc on the enemy lines, and Thompson saw a squad of Elcors firing at the enemy armor.

He was equally stunned as he was grateful. He crawled over to them and asked them, "What group do you guys belong to?" he shouted over the explosions and bullets firing in the air, though the Elcor didn't seem to be bothered.

One of the Elcor answered, "With immense pride we are part of the 22nd Elcor armored division, 'Dukenna's pride.' The name was chosen in temperance of the fallen Elcor hero Dukenna on Elysium.

Looking towards Alexis, he ordered her to take a few men and try to flank the west Quarian line. She took a few dozen men and headed out. The shouts of the wounded was heard as an Alliance solider was hit in the face with shrapnel. "AAHHH! SOMEONE HELP ME! I CAN'T SEE!

"Soldier stay calm." Marcus Felix ordered. He was a turian who immigrated to the Alliance after he married a Caucasian human female. He had served in the Hierarchy for three years and another six in the Alliance. The blinded soldier gave a nod, though one could see he was in immense pain. "Ruiz get this man into the medical tent ASAP!"

The Alliance doctor Joseph Ruiz, ran into the middle of cover and got the man into the tent.

Commander Wolf ordered the assault drones to be activated, assault drones were bi-tread machines with a mini-gun attached to it. They were found to be cheap, reliable, and easy to put together and maintain. They were mean to overwhelm in numbers, however Wolf only had 38 placed on the windows. Their fire tore the frontline troops, however a few were silenced from ogre fire.

He saw as the ogres prepared to fire at the O. and snipers in the buildings. "Alpha company get out of there!" he shouted. He saw a few managed to jump lift or get out of the building in time as the rest were killed as the rounds from the tanks impacted the building. They were close to overrunning them now, so Wolf ordered an immediate withdrawal. "Alright men, fall back there are too many of them."

Then the sound of gunships rotors were heard. Sergeant Thompson looked up to see the sky filled with Batarian gunships. "Shit. They are sending the entire Batarian air force."

The Batarian gunships fired, tearing the Alliance forces apart. They tried to retreat, but any attempted resulted in death.

"SARGE I NEED HELP!" Riley yelled.

Thompson turned to where the voice came from and saw a Quarian was trying to stab Riley. Quickly Thompson unsheathed his own knife and ran towards the Quarian. The marine was unprepared as they were stabbed by an Alliance knife.

"You good?" Thompson asked, extending his hand.

Riley drew his side arm and fired. Thompson turned around to see a Batarian dead on the ground.

That was when it happened. Hundreds of ARC drones appeared over the battle field and fired at the enemy gunships and troops. Riley and Thompson hid underneath a demolished building as explosions, missiles, and bullets impacted anywhere near with a Batarian presence. After the 15 longest minutes of his entire life, the barrage winded down. He heard the moans of the wounded soldiers on both sides, but he also heard footsteps near them, when a he took a look outside using the nearest window he saw an Alliance platoon walking.

"Hey over here." Thompson whispered.

The platoon leader looked up and saw an Alliance squad. He smiled and said "Damn it's good to see a friendly face. The name is Bradley, any of you guys know where the nearest Alliance station is?" He asked them.

Thompson sighed and he got out of the building, "Well just up ahead was an Alliance battalion, but-"

He was interrupted by the voice of Commander Wolf over the radio. "Attention all Alliance forces. Reinforcements have arrived. We are now mounting a counter attack. Let's take back out city."

Above the city the sight of three frigates could be seen. "Mount up men we got work to do." Bradley ordered. Alliance Falcons arrived and began deploying troops, while the Blue jays were evacuating the wounded.

* * *

**QMS Qwib Qwib **

Tali Zorah was busy repairing the ship's engines when she heard the news of the Quarian assisted attack on the Alliance colony she couldn't believe it. _'What is Shepard going to think?' _

"Tali I think you should take a break." Zaal'Koris told her. As an admiral of the civilian fleet he attempted to dissuade the Quarians from allying with the Batarians though few listen to them. The promise that Rael gave them of reclaiming their home world blinded them. Now with the Aleria confiscated by the Batarians and the attacks on the Alliance colony the Quarians were reconsidering the alliance, but some still stubbornly held to the believe that reclaiming their homeworld at all cost was the way to go.

Sighing she turned to face Koris, "I know it's just….."

Koris put a hand on her shoulder and said "Tali, I know. The split of the migrant fleet, the abduction of your father, the war that is going on. I don't know when or how, but I believe everything will turn out for the better.

"I hope you are right." Tali said, not sharing the same enthusiasm.

"I am. Now get some rest." Koris ordered. Tali reluctantly left and when she was out of earshot, Koris stared at the nearest window out into space.

"Keelah. Rael wherever you are, please make it back for your daughter, she needs you." Koris prayed.


	8. Chapter 8 - Information is key

A/N: I do not own the following skit. All rights go to Comedy Central and the Key and Peele show.

* * *

3-4-2184 1234 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Corvette**

In the Normandy's recreational room, Ramirez was sitting in a couch with Legion and Donnelly at his sides. They were watching a comedy show called 'Key and Peele', the show was about two comedians that did various comedy skits . Right now they were watching a skit where Key and Peele were dressed up as African soldiers. The title was called 'How to kill an African warlord.'

On screen it showed Key dressed as an African warlord commander by the name Ahbib Bujula in a small room sitting near a desk. He was wearing a stereotypical African khaki military uniform with a red beret and black glasses in his eyes.

Suddenly the door opened to reveal Peele, a soldier by the name Jango, wearing a white t-shirt with a teenage mutant ninja turtle logo on the front. He had a scarf, green pants, and a red beret also. In a fake African accent, he said "Commander Bujula our forces have been devastated," Pointing his finger in the Northern direction he warned, "The enemy is at the edge of the village. There are not many of us left. Should we surrender?" he asked.

Commander Bujula stood and stared at Jango. "You may surrender Jango," Taking off his glasses, he continued "But I'm afraid that is a luxury I cannot afford. You have no idea what they do to warlords. If they capture me, they will torture me for weeks and that is no way to go. I want you, my most trusted soldier over the age of eight, to take my life. That is my final order." He finished, giving Jango one final salute.

Jango returned the salute. Taking out his knife on his back pocket, Jango stabbed the commander four times.

"AAHHH! OW OW OW!" Commander Bujula screamed in agony as he grabbed a hold of Jango's knife. "S-stop stop! What the hell are you doing!? AHHHA!" he demanded as he sat back down in immense agony.

"I was trying to kill you sir." Jango replied.

"Not with this," Bujula said pointing to the knife. "There is a gun in the drawer." he said showing Jango where it was with his finger.

"Oh. So sorry." Jango apologized as he turned around to search for the gun in the drawer behind him.

"You missed. You missed every vital organ Jango."

Finding the gun, Jango turned back around. "I found it."

Commander Bujula held up his right hand. "Alright. Now kill me Jango, hurry please!"

Jango aimed the gun at his commander and fired.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Bujula screamed as the bullet entered his knee. "Not in the knee!"

"I thought you might want an open casket." Jango defended.

"You are an idiot. Ah!"

"Don't say that, I did try my best." Jango murmured gloomily as he was insulted by his commander.  
"Shoot me in the head! You imbecile!" Bujula ordered in anger.

Jagno nodded. Once again aiming the gun at his commander, this time in the head, Jango gave his last words to his commander. "Goodbye commander. You sorry ass piece of shit." Jango said as he pulled the trigger, however he was met with a click.

Both men, opened their eyes as the bullet failed to go off. "Did you just insult me as you were about to fire?" Bujula asked, insulted.

In an awkward moment, Jango tried to defend himself. "Oh. Well, you had insulted me earlier, I th-thought you would be dead."

By the face on the commander face, he was clearly not pleased. "So sorry." Jango once again apologized. He then started to hit Bujula in the face with the pistol.

"AHAHAHA! OW OW OW! S-stop stop it what the hell are you doing!?"

"The gun is empty. Would you like me to stab you again?" Jango asked, unsheathing his knife again.

With his hands raised, Bujula protested the action. "NO NO NO! Please! Jango there are bullets! They are over there." He said indicating to the same drawer as earlier.

"Okay." Jango began looking for more bullets for the gun.

"Jango, please hurry I'm in so much agony!" the commander whined.

Jango raised a large pot and threw it at the commander. "AAHHHA!" The commander screamed, the hit had taken the beret off his head. "What in the blazes man!?"

"I thought I could kill you very quickly by hitting you with that big cooking pot."

"Can you p-please get it over with." Bujula complained as he was still breathing.

"I did not find the bullets."

"WHAT!?" the commander asked in a hoarse and fearful tone.

"But even better, boiling hot water." he said holding up a pitcher of hot water.

"What are you going to do with that?" the commander was frightful at this point.

As if to answer his question, Jango poured he hot water on Commander Bujula's lap right on his pelvis. As sizzling sound filled the air as boiling hot water made contact with skin.

"AHHA! The commander motioned for Jango to get out of the way as he limped out of the room with his hands raised in the air. "I surrender! I am commander Ahbib Bujula!"

Jango still standing in the room, yelled after the commander. "Commander don't go! They'll torture you!" Jango yelled, clearly not knowing the torture he himself gave the commander while he was trying to kill him.

The screen turned to roll the credits as the skit was over. Ramirez and Donnelly sat in their chairs, laughing at the show.

Legion just sat there in silence. "Ramirez-Commander, I do not understand the purpose of this vid." he said in his robotic voice.

"Well, don't you see? It was funny, cause it was a parody."

"Do organics always laugh at tragedies that occur in their history?" Legion asked, trying to understand organic comedy.

Ramirez tried to stop laughing. "Well…uh I guess. When you say it like that it kind of sounds wrong."

"Ah, don't let the walking terminator get you down. That was comedy, pain in simple." Donnelly argued as he changed the channel.

He came upon a news channel. Ramirez caught the reporter saying, "This just in a human colony hi-" before Donnelly changed the channel again.

"Change it back, change it back!" Ramirez urged Donnelly, who did as he was told and pressed the record button.

The screen turned back to Asari Galactic News or AGN for short. "We go to our field reporter, Magemen Geran, for more details. The screen switched to a male, Salarian in the middle of a warzone.

"Thank you Elera. As you can see behind me, the Batarians have hit Rover, an Alliance colony. Possible the first in many assaults to come. We have confirmation now, that the enemy combatants are indeed Hegemony military forces, not pirates or slavers as previously thought." He stumbled as an explosion when off, a dozen meters from his position. In the background the chatter of soldiers and commands were heard as Alliance soldiers fought with Hegemony forces.

The Salarian dusted himself off and continued, "The attack was unanticipated, however both sides have sustain casualties." In the background, Alliance tanks and gunships advanced, alongside infantry. One of the infantry soldiers, a private by the look of his insignia on his right shoulder, waved at the camera before he was dragged off by one of his friends.

"The Alliance has retaliated with a massive counter attack and are in the process of evicting Hegemony forces from the colony. Alliance reinforcements are said to arrive within three hours, however at this moment it has not been confirmed. A short while ago, the Alliance navy was able to achieve orbital supremacy after a mysterious withdrawal from the Hegemony fleet and it seems the remaining Hegemony forces on the ground are now trapped. It is not known what the Alliance plans to do with them if they choose to surrender. This is Magemen Geran signing off." The screen then turned to the Asari anchorwoman as she delivered news and updates.

"Legion try to alert the crew on the Normandy, while I go get Shepard. Things have just gotten interesting." Ramirez said as he walked out of the rec-room.

* * *

**Cerberus Headquarters**

**Undisclosed location **

**25 minutes later**

The monitor flickered, and a dark haired, middle aged man in full Cerberus officer's uniform appeared in front of the Illusive man. "This is Lieutenant Colonel Adrie Anton, awaiting your orders, sir." The man said, giving a salute.

"Have you assaulted the moon yet?" He asked.

"Yes, we have sir. Our distraction should allow the Spec-ops team to arrive undetected. There have been reports that an high ranking Hegemony general is on site and is coordinating the defense." The officer replied.

"Is that so?" The Illusive man was interested by the turn of events. He now had an opportunity to possible interrogate a Hegemony military officer.

_'The secrets he can have on their defenses.' _The Illusive man imaged in his head the possibilities this could mean.

He turned his attention to the Lt. Colonel and said "Continue as instructed."

"Yes, sir." Anton said as he gave a salute. An instant later his image disappeared from the holo-projector and instead switched to a different link, this one to the Normandy.

Shepard's image appeared on screen. "Shepard, I'm sure you've seen the news lately?" The Illusive man rhetorically asked.

"Yeah, the Batarians have hit an Alliance colony. Does this change our original mission?" Shepard asked.

"No, of course not. However, the objective of said mission has. A Cerberus fleet has hit the moon and are causing a distraction to allow you to remain undetected and capture a Batarian general on site. Try assist them any way you can, and take over the factory if possible, however the Batarian general is high priority. I want to make sure I'm clear on this, Shepard."

"You're crystal, just give me the coordinates on the general's location and consider it done."

"I'll consider it done after you've captured the general, not before." The Illusive man, shot back.

Shepard kept his emotions under control and gave a nod. Once he got the coordinates, he disconnected.

The Illusive man again switched the channel, this time to the Council chambers. Unbeknownst to the Council, he managed to bug each councilor's office and this allowed him to learn a great many things about each one.

Udina was doing back-room deals to gain support for the Alliance. Secretly, or so Udina thought, he leveraged some of his rivals for the position of the human councilor and black-mailed them to support his candidacy or risk exposure of fraud, corruption, and affairs. He was also selling private contracts to the Blue suns, possibly to switch their loyalties.

Valern was secretly, with the Salarian Union and STG, trying to create their own AIs. Preliminary tests were a success and their new line of 'advanced emotion responsive VIs' were scheduled to be installed on their dreadnoughts. Speaking of which, they've managed to acquire the specs on the Normandy stealth systems and were able reverse engineer a better stealth system They were able to mask the heat emissions from an actual dreadnought and were in the process of attempting to render it invisible. Of course these stealth dreadnoughts would cost almost twice as much as a regular dreadnought. The property theft, didn't bother the Illusive man much as his organization was in the process of 'downloading' the blue-prints on these stealth ships. An eye for an eye, it seemed.

Tevos, ironically, was having an affair with the pirate queen, Aria T'loak. This information was invaluable as it gained the Illusive man leverage on the Asari councilor if he was to ever need it. Tevos also managed to secretly transfer some credits towards Omega, in exchange for assurances that no Asari planet would be targeted by the Hegemony.

Din Korlack was financing a new defense system created by the turians and were in the process of constructing three dreadnoughts. The first was to be named Kwunu. There were reports of Volus companies trying to sneak their way into the biotic implant sector, but were being blocked by Tevos, unknown to the other councilors. However, Din Korlack was financing projects where they would buy Asari made biotic implants, send them to a Salarian company named Serush Industries to study and would then sell it to the Raloi military.

Sparatus didn't have too much dirt on him. Other than his government had secretly sold the prototype Thanix cannon, while they kept the fully developed or Thanix Mk. II cannon to themselves. Unlike the prototype, the was able to fire three slugs during every shot, not just one. He was also planning to assault the Terminus Systems, and claim to support the Alliance as they removed pirate bases that have been a thorn on their side for a long time and take over nearby dextro-amino worlds. The Hierarchy actually had five more dreadnoughts then they let claimed, they were secretly built on Menae. Unlike the other councilors, Sparatus can claim that his government had just constructed all of these assets. Unfortunately for the Illusive man, Sparatus never gave a date on when each asset was constructed nor how long each had been in service.

The Illusive man stumbled in the middle of a meeting, which isn't hard since the bugs are self-recording.

Udina: "We need to attack the Hegemony now! We cannot afford any more council worlds be attacked!" he demanded.

Valern: "You mean human worlds, councilor. No other race's colonies have been attacked, making this an Alliance manner." Valern retorted.

Udina: "You'll watch as my race strugg-"

Valern: "I will, councilor. The truth is, the Salarian Union hasn't replaced all of its vessels it lost during the counterattack on Eden Prime. If you cannot even defend your own colonies, frankly I wonder why your even on the council-"

Tevos: "Valern that is enough! Despite the situation we find ourselves in, Valern is right. Since the Hegemony has only attacked the Alliance, we can only offer minimal support. I will discuss with the Matriarchs on Thessia, but chances are good that we can offer the sixth fleet as support. We will also send deploy Spectres to disrupt their manufacturing capabilities."

Udina: "Thank you, councilor. I personally will not forget this."

Sparatus: "I'll be blunt councilors, the Hierarchy is very keen on attacking the Hegemony and the various private groups that they've funded. Now we officially cannot lend you any of our fleets as our people come first, however we can take pressure off of you by attacking their funded pirate bases."

Udina: "I will humbly accept what I can take."

Korlack: "The Volus protectorate…is willing to loan…the Alliance credits for the…war effort in exchange…for the colony of Patavig."

Udina: "Consider it done. Now onto more pressing concerns. The Alliance has obtain evidence that the Collectors assisted the Batarians on the attack on Rover."

Sparatus:"What!? Why would the Collectors aid the Batarians of all people."

Udina: I thought the same, and so I brought this to the attention of the Prothean liaison to the council, Sulun Ader."

Ader: "This may not give you comfort, but that is not my job. These collectors that you mention, are Protheans that have been corrupted by the Reapers."

Tevos: "By the goddess!"

Valern: "Excuse me, but I must bring this up to the STG. If worst comes to pass I won't have my people suffer."

Tevos: "For now this meeting is adjourned. I must consult with the Matriarchs on Thessia. No doubt this will cause some concern on our colonies near the Terminus systems."

Sparatus: "As I with the Primarchs on Palaven."

The Illusive man disconnected from the bug, satisfied with the assistance that the Alliance was receiving, even if it was only token forces. He then received a call. He pressed commands on his chair and the image of Marva Kolen, the female ambassador of the Raloin government.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Marva said, bluntly.

"It's best of my identity remains a secret. And what I want is fairly simple, Raloin military support." The Illusive man said.

Marva narrowed her eyes and asked, "If you are requesting military support for the Alliance in the war, I have to ask what's in it for my race?"

"Prestige. A tale of legends. A newly discovered race defeats a galactic superpower in what can be called a miracle." He said.

"If you think that will get my government to lend you our ships and weapons, then you are delusional." She said with her arms crossed.

"Well then, what is it that your government require?" he asked.

"Ships, weapons, colonies, and economic deals." She stated her demands with an air of authority and the Illusive man was somewhat impressed by her display.

"You have my word that you gain those assets." The Illusive man with a slight smile.

"Haha," She chuckled, causing the Illusive man to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"I don't see what can cause any sense of humor."

"If you think I will ever take the word of a shady human over the QEC, then you are delusional. When my demands are met and officially granted to my race by your government, not your councilor, then the Raloi will provide the support you require. Have a good day." Marva then cut the connection.

The Illusive man sat there smiling, instead of being angry or offended, he was rather pleased with the performance the Raloin ambassador. Only a few ever talked back to the Illusive man, usually because they were always negotiating from a weaken position or at the end of a gun.

* * *

**High Borsan**

**Batarian outpost **

**Sector E - Security wing**

Hegemony troops were currently patrolling the compound. A few of the Hegemony's data analysts were also trying to upgrade the outpost's cyber security. These 'analysts' were simply Eclipse mercenaries hired for their expertise in electronics.

"Will you hurry up." A batarian said to a male salarian merc, who was trying to install updates.

"This computer system is very different than the ones almost everyone else uses. This software is extremely old, I didn't think that it existed anymore. Trying to find a compatible security system without doing a major overhaul or replacement was rather difficult and trying to install it, even more so." he replied. He stands as he types in the commands for the software. The console shot of sparks, much to the dismay and annoyance to the mercenaries.

"This is a pointless," An asari said. "Let's try-"

She wasn't able to finish as a Japanese Katana blade lung through her neck. This shocked the group as the asari fell to the ground. They were unable to react fast enough as another mercenary finds himself flying to a wall with a deep stab on his torso.

The others opened fire at the general direction where their squad member flew from and it hit Kai Leng's shields, however his cloaked armor prevented him from being seen.

Kai Leng quickly engaged the mercenaries in CQC with astonishing speed that could only be matched by a drell. Kai Leng started slashing the mercenaries and batarian soldiers to bits

He slashed one of the batarian solider diagonally across the torso, while kicking a gun off the hands of another batarian. He delivered a strong strike to the batarian's neck instantly breaking it. He then used the batarian's body as a human shield as rounds were pounded onto the corpse. He quickly finishes off two more mercenaries and sprints towards one of the last two remaining enemies in the area.

He goes for a downward strike with his sword, however instinctively the merc raises his assautl rife in an attempt to block the sword. To his shock, the sword merely slices through his rifle before impacting the top of his head, killing him instantly.

He then jumps towards the salarian engineer who attempts to flee, only to have his back exposed. Kai Leng runs after him, easily closing the distance between them. The salarian turns around and tries to raise his pistol, but Kai Leng chops off the salarian's hand

"AHHH!" he screams, holding his severed hand. He looks up only to be meet with a steel sword and then….darkness.

As the lifeless body fell to the ground, Kai Leng headed towards another section of the outpost.

* * *

**Sector B - Barracks**

An Eclipse group was engaging a group of Cerberus Knights, elite soldiers used for high risk operations. The group consisted of three men and one women, and was lead by Tex. Flint was the team's marksmen and scout, Emile was the big hitter of the squad, and Kollier was the infiltrator and hacker. Essentially they were Cerberus's special forces. The knights were taking cover behind combat barriers and walls.

The two groups are exchanging shots with each other as the mass effect projectiles, rail gun rounds impacted the opposite group. Emile quickly took cover after he threw a sticky grenade at the mercenaries, which happened to stick onto the face of a human.

"Get it off, Get if off!" the Eclipse merc screams as he tries to separate the grenade from his face. The grenade was a regular fragmentation grenade coated with extremely tar that can only be stored or used with specialized gauntlets and equipment.

The explosion tears the human's body apart as well as killing the nearby mercs. Flint then fires a few rail gun rounds towards a batarian soldier and kills her with incredible skill.

Kollier, using a high-tech bow, aims an explosive arrow at a pair of salarian Eclipse members. The slow kinetic energy of the arrow allows it to bypass kinetic barriers and stick right onto the armor. One of the salarians is able to dive out of the explosion radius, before the arrow kills the other merc.

Emile and Tex were firing their weapons at the asari vanguards. Two of them were hit in the torso and the third was hit in the forearms. With numbers on their side, Tex orders them to suppress them. Firing their weapons, the group of knights were steadily advancing, however an asari vanguard threw a warp attack at Emile and hit him in the torso. The armor took most of hit, but at the same time a human eclipse sniper took the opportunity and shot Emile in the chest.

An arrow from Kollier soon made its way to the sniper's eye, killing him.

"Emile is down! Emile is down! Covering fire!" Tex ordered, firing at the enemy group.

The remaining Eclipse members were quickly dispatched as Kollier attempted to apply medi-gel to Emile's wound, but he had already lost too much blood. "Hey, Tex come h-here." Emile said, blood dripping from his mouth.

Tex kneeled near his friend. "Yeah?"

Pointing to his bag of explosive and charges, he said "I have about seven minutes. I-I c-can cove y-your escape."

Tex understood that he couldn't change his friend's mind and the whole base was probably alert by now and a large numbers of enemies were probable on their way. Tex nodded and gave an order to fall back to their ship.

Emile started to input the codes for the explosives; he was able to hear the faint noise of boots hitting the floor and knew the batarian SIUs were on their way. Just about as he was ready to press it, a large number of batarians entered the room and aimed their rifles at him.

Emile smiling said "Hey four eyes," holding up the detonator, he continued "I'll see you in hell." He pressed the detonator and the room was consumed by the blast.

* * *

**Section D - Sever Room **

Kai Leng was engaging a group of batarian SIUs. After he got the information that he needed, six angry SIU armed soldiers arrived and were blocking the door. Kai Leng was able kill two with his hand blaster, but was forced to take cover when the rest fired upon him, draining his shields. They were about to gain the advantage, however an unknown explosion allowed Kai Leng to maneuver and recharge his shields.

Using his augmented agility, Kai swung his blade and decapitated a batarian. He then surged forward and stabbed another in the torso. He notices an batarian glowing with biotic energy who then quickly sends a warp towards him. Kai quickly jumps away, the attack missing his head by mere centimeters. He closes in on the batarian and quickly slices him across the abdomen. Using his hand blaster, he killed another batarian that was ready to fire on him. The last one tried to flee, but Kai Leng is able to slice him across both legs severing them.

"AHHH!" The Batarian tried to crawl away, but his suffering was ended when Kai Leng stabbed him in the neck. A pool of yellow blood stained the area

With the his mission completed, Kai Leng starts sprinting back towards his ship. While running he receives a call. He looks to see that it is the Illusive man. He brings up the comm and presses it. "Kai Leng, I trust your mission has been successful." said the Illusive man

"Of course." He replied.

"Good. Head back to the station."

Kai Leng said nothing, but he didn't have to tell the Illusive man that he understood his orders. He disconnected the comm.

Reaching his ship, he notices only three Cerberus knights are on the ship. Looking around he asks "Where is Emile?"

"Emile….Emile didn't make it. He covered our escape." Tex informed.

Kai Leng was not pleased. "Unfortunate, however we have new orders."

"What kind?" Tex asks.

"We are going back to the station." Kai Leng replied.

The Cerberus knights eyed each other as Kai Leng made his way to the cockpit. "Any reason why?" Tex asked.

"No. For what it's worth I'm sure Emile is satisfied that he killed so many Batarians."

"That he is." Tex said staring out of one of the windows. The ship made its way towards a Cerberus task force of eight corvettes and docked with one of them. Together they went to FTL and headed back to the Cerberus station.

* * *

A/N: And that is folks. Please leave a review stating if you are pleased with the pace of the story or if you wish to have me slow down a bit


	9. Chapter 9 - The General I

A/N: Inspired by **joestej. **Also for all those Tali fans out there, do not worry she'll be recruited into the team by around chapter 11 or 12.

* * *

3-7-2184 2595 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Corvette**

**Command deck**

"Captain we are 120 kilometers from the Batarian…hey captain you have to see this!" exclaimed Joker.

Shepard walked over to the cockpit from his nav-map and took a look at what Joker had found so interesting. "What is it Joker?" he asked him.

"The moon…its…I think it's a garden world. Look at all that green, brown, and blue."

"How is that even possible? Wouldn't it make more sense to call it a planet?" Shepard asked, stunned seeing a moon covered in oceans and land.

EDI's avatar appeared next to Joker's leather seat. "The moon, called Har, orbits a gas giant that radiates heat, giving the oxygen and nitrogen rich atmosphere colony life. Like most moons, Fra orbits the gas giant and its only by chance that such a phenomenon occurred."

"And that's the only flaw in the Normandy 2.0." Joker whined. Turning his head towards Shepard, he asked "Do we really need this electrical cancer onboard, in the cockpit? I mean we already have the geth it named." Joker complained, not wanting an AI criticizing his flying skills.

"Mr. Moreau, I assure you I will not interfere with your flight performance. I am only responsible for the Normandy's cyber warfare suites." EDI calmly informed him.

"Joker get us planet side as quickly as you can. EDI set up a connection line to the Cerberus operative responsible for the operation. I'm going to get the team ready." Shepard ordered, leaving the cockpit and heading to the armory.

"Roger captain." Joker said, and EDI's avatar simply disappeared.

* * *

**Armory **

**6 minutes later**

Seeing the ground team all gathered, Shepard began discussing his plan. "We are going to split into three teams. Grunt, Jacob, and I will be team A. We'll handle the frontlines and be sure that the Cerberus line holds. Ramirez, Kasumi, and Legion will be team B. They're our infiltration team and will capture our objective, a high ranking Batarian military officer believed to be in one of three buildings in the city. Garrus, Jack, and Samara will be team C, and they'll provide covering fire and support. Any questions"

Looking around Shepard saw no one objected to his plan and believed that they were ready. "This is our first official battle in this war, so let's make it count." he said to them.

The assigned teams loaded up on a blue jay carrier and once the Normandy reached the atmosphere it took off, while the Normandy retreated to a safe distance from all the AA cannons hidden in the jungle. In total ten members of Shepard's team were in the shuttle and were flying towards their assigned coordinates.

'_Just another mission. Don't screw it up.'_

Garrus Vakarian, accomplished soldier and veteran C-Sec officer, ignored the nervous lump in his throat and repeated the mantra over and over again in his head. He knew he had an amazing team, but was nervous about endangering the lives of his teammates. He has never personally lead a fire team before and he wasn't so sure he'd be able to properly lead them, but Shepard was confident that he was able and Garrus was determined not to let his friend down.

"Dammit, look at those trees," Jack mumbled gazing at the ground below.

"Good thing we are landing in the city. That jungle is the perfect location for ambushes, traps, and kill zones." James said.

The ground was entirely green with the occasional blue rivers or ponds; dense forest blanketed the area like a massive blanket. Up ahead Shepard could see the start of the city of _Superiority_. He saw an orange glow coming from some of the outer edges, topped with a haze of black smoke. There were other fires inside the city, as if the Batarians were sending out a signal to all humans: _This is our city. Get out while you can or suffer our wrath._

"Approaching the landing zone." The pilot informed the group. He glanced at the dashboard. "That's not good. You guys may want to put your seatbelts on." He warned them.

"What?" Shepard asked.

"Incoming missile. Damn four eyes, I guess they want us dead. Hold on." The pilot yanked the controls; the Blue jay twisted sharply to the side, and Grunt was knocked over from his seat from what seemed to be a massive explosion.

"Are we hit?!" Shepard yelled over the noise, hands clenched to his armrests. His stomach swooped as the shuttle transport fell sharply. There was a heavy thud behind him and what sounded like a grunt from James.

"No, don't worry Captain. I wasn't assigned to be your transport pilot for nothing. I managed to shoot the rocket down before it could hit us."

Pushing James off of him, Garrus mumbled "Well its nice for the Batarians to send us a welcoming gift."

"Let's just hope it's their last one."Ramirez muttered.

"James, I don't think the Batarians are that greedy. I expect more, especially when the heavy fighting starts." Garrus responded.

"If it hasn't already." He said looking at the burning city.

* * *

**Har**

**Cerberus Headquarters**

**Superiority Suburbs **

The Blue jay troop carrier landed on the Cerberus controlled building that was serving as the head quarters. The thud of the shuttle rattled Jacob's brain, it reminded him of his time as an Alliance paratrooper. Shepard's group, which consisted of Jacob and Grunt, were met by the Cerberus officers on the rooftop. One of them, a seasoned soldier male in his late fifties, stepped forward. "Which one of you is charge?" he asked loudly over the shuttle's engine. He was in full-uniform and looked exhausted; there were bags under his eyes, his dark hair was peppered with dirt, and his uniform was stained with ash and debris as if it hadn't been cleaned in several days.

Shepard stepped forward. took his helmet off and stuck out her hand. "I am. Captain Shepard and these is my team. Jacob, Grunt, Legion, Ramirez, Garrus, Kasumi, Jack and Samara."

_'Stay calm. Take no bullshit from them.'_

The Cerberus officer scanned over them all. Shepard couldn't help, but note his reluctance in meeting them, most noticeable Grunt and Legion. "Very well. Follow me." He led them inside the Cerberus headquarters, where they were met with chaos. There were people running around everywhere, talking into headsets and radios, or looking at maps of the city, or barking orders at other people. Shepard couldn't help but think that is was sharply different from the Alliance military, and felt a small bit of pride. "I apologize for the disorganization. Given the current circumstances, we are somewhat stressed." He stopped outside a room. "This is an officers meeting. We would prefer to have only one of one you in our discussion, rather than a whole group of mercenaries."

Garrus cleared his throat. "More like deniable forces. Totally different." Shepard turned around and gave him look that said _Not right now. _He averted his eyes to the floor.

"Understood,-" Shepard started, awaiting the Cerberus officer to give him a rank, the officer seemed to notice this.

"Sir, will do just fine." he said with a even voice.

"Understood, sir." Shepard repeated. "My team will wait outside," he agreed, turning to address his fellow teammates. "Try not to break anything," He said staring at Grunt.

"Heh Heh Heh." Grunt laughed while smiling. It made the Cerberus guards a bit uneasy. "No promises, Shepard." he said.

Inside the conference room, was a circular room with an equally round table. Shepard couldn't help, but notice the officer had seated him isolated from the rest of the group.

A scared woman with a hooked nose glared at him. "Who is this?"

The Cerberus officer nodded to Shepard, giving him permission to speak. He took a small breath and began in a clear, even voice. " I am Captain Shepard of the Alliance. I am requesting on behalf of our team and for the good of the city that the Cerberus forces seize all offensive operations in the area and fall back to a solid defensive line 2 kilometers from here."

He bit his tongue as the officers around tittered at his suggestion. _'Calm. In charge. Take no bullshit. Just another mission.'_

"What makes you think that you can do a better job than Cerberus?" The woman with a the hooked nose asked.

Before Shepard could give an explanation, the officer beat him to it. "The Illusive man believes that he can do a better job and is here on his personal order."

The woman with the scared face folded her hands together. "Prove it."

The officer tapped commands on his omni-tool that linked directly to the Illusive man's personal line. His voice filled the room. "Yes?"

The officer said "General Abita Kila wants me to confirm Shepard's authority over the operation."

"Shepard has full access to all and any Cerberus resources that he needs to complete his mission." The Illusive man responded.

"What what exactly is his mission?" The scarred woman asked.

"I believe I have just explained that this was _his_ mission." The Illusive man said, stressing the fact that he did not have to answer to any of his subordinates. The table fell silent. "Anton, insure I do not receive any more interruptions before the mission is complete." The Illusive man ordered.

"Of course sir." He cut the connection and turned his attention to the Generals in the room with raised eyebrows. "Any more questions?" he asked them with a smile.

General Kila was not too pleased by the look on her face. "Why wasn't I informed of this Lt. Colonel?" she demanded.

'_So Anton is his last name and his rank is Lt. Colonel.' _Shepard thought.

With a mischievous grin, he replied "It must've slipped my mine, when you ordered my men to charge into the city with a lack of proper logistical center or rear guard. Now that that's settled," Anton said, shuffling through papers on the table, "does anyone wish to give him the current status of the city?"

"The entire population, military included, is using whatever means necessary to fight us. This has caused severe amounts of casualties in the last 24 hrs. There are also scattered reports that some biped insectoid like creatures fighting alongside the Batarians, however this have not been confirmed." Explained a younger officer, with a round face. "Our troops are spread thin and are mostly being pushed back into the centre of the city, with the exception of two districts, the banking square and the slave pens. Orbital strikes have been proposed to turn the tide, however we have not reached a decision yet."

Shepard thought this information over, along with the design of the city and its suburbs. The banking square was near the border of the Batarian held territory and the slave pens were located further back. "Have your forces in the banking square give up that territory, and have them join the soldiers near the salve pens. Any able bodied slave that is willing to fight the batarians, give them arms."

General Kila narrowed her eyes. "And risk having the Batarians setting forward artillery positions?"

"Yes. We are almost being driven back and as we fight in the frontlines, the Batarians will be fortifying their rear guard in case they lose any territory onward. They'll definitely set up artillery positions to hit this building, but they will do it with haste and won't have time to set up air defenses. Hit them with air strikes, and have a light armor column drive through the middle of the Batarian line straight to their headquarters. They'll be busy with the rest of the Cerberus forces, but they will not have time to reorganize. But we can only do this after the Batarians wear themselves out, not before."

"Still it would give them a massive victory and embolden them further." The woman spat. "I will not give any ground to those four eyes."

"False hope will make them aggressive, more reckless and cocky." Anton defended, seeing the strategic benefits of Shepard's plan.

"I st-" before the General could argue any further, Anton cut her off.

"General Kila, unless you have any other strategies that you will like to share with us, we follow the Illusive man's orders and do as Shepard says. So far we have taken small amounts of ground have almost exhausted our troops, while the Batarians have unknown numbers, possibly the whole city is against us."

He let his words sink into the Generals heads. Seeing no objections, Anton asked Shepard, "So what is next."

Shepard smiled, actually Miranda Lawson can explain. As if on cue, Miranda Lawson strode into the room and everyone's eyes fell one her. It was known that she was Cerberus's greatest asset and part of the Illusive man's inner circle.

Miranda explained the details of the plan further. "We will need extra force on the sides, and build barricades. Anything and everything will be useful from concrete slabs to rocks and sandbags. If possible, we should attempt to get any civilian help to boost our numbers. The barricades will slow the Batarian infantry and prevent any armor they may have form crossing, causing them to drive straight into the middle. Shepard will lead the men defending the middle line. Any mines, explosives, and drones you have assigned them towards Shepard's group. This is where they will send their biggest portion of tanks and soldiers, so make sure artillery batteries and aircraft are ready to bombard this area. When the Batarians are surprised and weaken, I want all available tanks to drive straight through the middle line and head towards the city. The disorganization of the batarian ranks will allow Shepard's light column to head towards the headquarters nearly undetected." She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in.

The rest of the entourage were a bit taken aback by Miranda's details on Shepard's plan. Anton coughed to bring back the generals to reality. "I will personally assist Shepard, along with my men if that is all right with you generals." he said, scanning each an everyone of them for any sign of protest.

Colonel Montie said "Of course. Alright people you heard the lady, let's move!" he ordered the other generals. They immediately mobilized to ready their troops and began issuing demands on their omni-tools as they walked out of the room.

"Miranda, stay here and make the generals play nice." Shepard ordered.

"Oh, don't worry Captain they will if they know what's good for them." She said to him with a smile.

Gathering his team, Shepard filled them in and assigned them to locations along the middle line, with the exception of Ramirez's team of course.

"Brave strategy, Shepard. Are you sure it will work?" Anton asked him.

"Yes." Shepard responded.

Anton did not know, what is was about this young man before him, but somehow he managed to inspire confidence in his team and in others.

"Well then, I guess I'll owe you a beer after this." Anton said.

"We get through this I'll buy everyone beers." Shepard replied.

* * *

**Har**

**Defensive line Bravo - 2 hours later **

**Team B **

"Shepard !" Garrus screamed into the radio, but he received only static as a response.

Garrus could barely see anyone in the amidst the crowd of Cerberus soldiers that they were currently working with. Gunfire and explosions ran clear in his ears, and he was pretty sure he couldn't hear himself, never mind hoping that Shepard would somehow hear him.

He along with Samara and Jack were providing were providing support and were keeping enemy soldiers at bay at the flanks. Unfortunately for Garrus, he was unable to find a suitable range to use his sniper rifle and instead had to use his assault rifle. Samara was providing biotic fields for Cerberus soldiers to advance while Jack threw wrap and shockwave attacks at the Batarian soldiers.

Despite looking everywhere in the mass of grey, yellow, and black, there was no sign of the familiar solid white armor of titan armor. Most likely he was sent to reinforce 67th Gil street, where the Batarians were throwing heavy amounts of soldiers. This helped team B to do their job much easier of guarding the rear without too much interference, or so it was in theory.

Garrus was caught off guard by a pair of armored Batarians that had flanked the defence and tried to attack from the side. A fist met the side of his head and he stumbled, but was able to recover and saw one soldier was holding two sub machine guns, while the other had a shotgun, things weren't looking good.

That was until the soldier on the left was levitated and was then slammed down hard on the concrete, the other, startled by the death of his companion, made an attempt to retreat only to be met by the barrel of Jack's shotgun, a loud **BOOM **silenced any plea that the soldier may have made. Garrus breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright?" Samara questioned him like a clam mother.

"Yeah. That was close." Garrus replied in his usual flanging voice.

"Good thing you're in the rear guard." Jack told him.

"Unfortunately not far enough to use my sniper, but I'll make do. Any of you have heard news on Shepard?"

"I am afraid not. But I believe we will soon be asked to assist." Samara informed them while they moved with the Cerberus 1st rifle company to three blocks to the left.

Garrus passed a line of black body bags and was reinforced in making sure he could this fight quickly. Seeing a brief flicker of white armor 490 meters ahead, and pulled out a sniper rifle and saw it was Shepard wrestling with two batarian soldiers on the ground and trying to pin each other.

Without hesitation he fired two shots at the Batarian soldiers and they went down with a stream of yellow blood spilling from their wounds.

Shepard quickly got back up and was able to fire at a squad of soldiers that was approaching his position.

Garrus, now in range of Shepard's radio, said "You are welcomed for that save**.**"

"I could've taken them if I wanted to." Shepard replied.

"Sure you could." Garrus taunted.

"Don't let it go you're head." Shepard's plan was now coming into place. Right now Team C, would no doubt be near the General's headquarters with the light armor column that left half an hour ago.

"Garrus, once Ramirez gives off a flare, I need you two take my place while I go pick him up. Miranda will assist you in any way she can."

"You got it Shepard." Garrus was busy sniping long range targets and enemy snipers. He quickly dropped down as a bullet ricochet of the floor and it nearly hit him. Suddenly a barrier field enveloped Garrus and he looked up to see Samara generating it.

"Now would be a good time to eliminate the enemy marksmen."

"Ahem. Right." Garrus got up and aimed his sniper. The enemy sniper was naïve enough to believe his sniper rifle could penetrate an Asari's biotic field as claimed by the Batarian military. An instant later his shot bounced off the field and the last thing he saw was a flare from Garrus's sniper rifle.

* * *

**Har**

**50 meters from Batarian headquarters**

**Team C **

"Target location within sight, Ramirez- Commander." Legion reported looking through his sniper rifle. Ramirez walked up to the edge of a rooftop in which they stood and looked down over the city of _Superiority _. Pillars of smoke were rising into a black sky dotted with exploding ships and glimmering shields. The building they stood upon was one of the tallest in the city, and was now filled with wounded and tied or dead Batarian soldiers. The majority of the wounded were unconscious, allowing the team not worry about any alarms. The building was right on the edge of the city and exactly where intel suggested General Baron Ulig was located.

Ramirez put his hands on the edge and peered downwards, seeing a flat plaza in front of the building. In the centre was a mobile defense structure. Which is basically a bunker made of reinforced steel that would require heavy explosions to make a dent.

"I count roughly thirty Batarian soldiers surrounding the bunker," Kasumi chimed in as she viewed the situation through a pair of binoculars. "I would bet that our guy is in there, somewhere."

"If Cerberus's intel is correct, he will be," Ramirez stated, looking down at a pair of Batarians soldiers below.

"I assure you Commander, Cerberus's intel is correct," Miranda snapped through the radio. Probably offended at anyone questioning Cerberus's operational capabilities.

"We'll find out soon enough," Looking at Legion, Ramirez ordered "Legion you're going to stay up here and cover us while we take out the guards below us. Once they're neutralized, we'll take their armor and helmets and sneak right in."

"Understood Ramirez-Commander," Legion replied.

"So you made us fight our way to the top of the building, just to go back down?" Kasumi asked.

"Well we needed an observation point. And this is the only building with a perfect vantage point of the bunker." Ramirez replied.

"I doubt we'll be using the stairs." Kasumi said rather than asked.

If Ramirez wasn't wearing a helmet, she would see a smirk on his face. Ramirez stepped up onto the ledge and looked down at the plaza below. He pulled out a cable and tied one end to his waistline and the other end to the building. He could hear Kasumi gulped behind him as he turned around. "Hope you're not afraid of heights."

Kasumi shook her head and secured another set of cables in similar fashion as Ramirez had done. She stepped up onto the ledge next to him. Ramirez knew she was never going let him outshine her.

"Ramirez-Commander, once you are inside would you like us to neutralized the guards outside the building?" Legion asked.

"Yeah, it'll make it easier to depart." Turning back to Kasumi he said "Let's go!" In unison they both dropped, unfortunately for them a Batarian mantis gunship coming back from patrol spotted them and began shooting them.

"MOVE!" Ramirez yelled as he grabbed Kasumi from the waist and they began moving in perpendicular to the Mantis' fire. A lucky shot from the gunship managed to tear Kasumi'sand Ramirez's cables. They tumbled off the side and began tearing through the air towards the ground while the Mantis dived after them as the gunner began firing wildly. Ramirez and Kasumi were showered in shards of glass that glittered in the air as they fell.

Ramirez pulled out his assault rifle and aimed it towards the mantis, trying to line up a shot, but a stray bullet from the gunner slammed into his rifle, tearing the gun from his hands and it tumbled down to the gun.

"WHAT'S THE PLAN NOW!?" Kasumi screamed through the radio as they both fell.

"Legion can you get a shot on the gunship? WE ARE GETTING SHOT AT!"

"Ramirez-Commander cross your arms in front of your chest." Legion said calmly.

"Why?" Ramirez asked.

Ramirez looked at the gunship's guns and saw it started to turn red from heat. The ground was getting closer, and the bullets were doing the same.

"JUST DO IT!" Kasumi yelled at him.

Ramirez crossed his arms in front of his chest and suddenly heard a massive crack. A round from Legion's sniper rifle slammed into the reinforced armor on Ramirez's gauntlets. He saw as it ricochet perfectly to the side and tore straight through the glass of the cockpit, followed quickly by the pilot's head. The inside of the cockpit was suddenly covered in yellow stains as the pilot's head slammed down onto the controls in front him. The gunship stopped descending and began to spin. It slammed into the building causing it to erupt into a massive fireball, dotted with shards of glass and burned steel.

Ramirez looked towards Kasumi and saw that he was falling faster, most probably due to Legion's sniper rifle that seemed to be firing at a rapid pace. He looked down and saw a cable running from their building to one on the left as part of a communication line in the city. He reached and grabbed it . One end was snapped clean, but the other held firm and Ramirez was flung into the building they had just jumped from and smashed through a window rolling across the floor.

The room he was in was filled with machinery, used to make weapons and other raw materials. He took some deep breaths, before his mind shot back to Kasumi who was falling right behind him.

He immediately jumped back to his feet and charged back towards the broken window. He dropped to the ground and skidded towards the window, grabbing a lever from a piece of machinery that was rooted to the ground as he passed. He stretched his other hand out the window reaching it as far as he could. Time slowed down as Kasumi started to reached his window. He watched as he dropped towards his hands. Even behind their visors, their eyes met, and there was a silent…but definite communication. He didn't even have to say anything, but he knew on the inside that he was screaming "GRAB MY HAND!"

Kasumi reached out her hand and her wrist fell perfectly into Ramirez's grip. He held on as tightly as he could to the machinery as he possibly could as Kasumi's full, terminal velocity weight tried to rip his body in half.

"AHH!" He screamed out in pain as his torso stretched from the catch. His armored chest plate snapped in the center with an explosion of tiny fragments that once made up his armor.

He pulled his arm upwards and pulled Kasumi into the room. Ramirez rolled over on his back and breathed heavily for a moment, just taking a second to rest. He looked to the side and saw his face was inches away from Kasumi's.

They just stared at each other until Legion's voice filled the radio, "Ramirez-Commander this platform requires assistance. The bunker is on full alert."

"You got it Legion. Just hold off for a while, until we get on the ground." Ramirez replied.

"Affirmative."

Kasumi was already pushing herself to her feet and Ramirez naturally did the same. "I think we should take the stairs." He said.

"That would be better." Kasumi responded. Still breathing heavily she said "So much for stealth."

"I guess we are going in loud. C'mon." Ramirez sprinted down the stairs, Kasumi not far behind. On the radio, he said "Legion how many can you take out before we reach ground level."

"Unknown." The sound of Legion's voice was ended by the rapid sounds of his sniper rifle firing.

As Ramirez and Kasumi walked out of the building they saw a round tear through a first soldier's chest, then ricochet countless times off the soldiers and even the bunker before it came to a stop. No one moved as they contemplated what had just happened. Suddenly half of the batarian guards grew blood stains on their chests and slowly fell to the ground.

"MOVE!" Ramirez yelled. He and Kasumi took cover and began firing their weapons. Kasumi fired her locust at a Batarian, the round crushing his ribs on the entry and slicing his spinal cord on its exit. Ramirez threw a grenade and its detonation sent a blast of glass shards, blood, and dislodged limbs everywhere.

Kasumi ran towards a the side of a building and slid across the floor. The rounds of the Batarians missing her by mere centimeters as she fired her own. She fired eight shots and all of them made contact with their targets. Only three were lethal, but Ramirez fired a burst from his assault rifle killing a pair and immediately went back into cover as shots were fired on him. Legion took the last three with his impressive aiming.

The air was filled with silence as Kasumi and Ramirez stood in a sea of bodies.

Suddenly the gates to the bunker were blasted open. Ramirez and Kasumi took cover as the gates were sent flying. Standing in front of the bunker was a large eight foot tall insect-like biped. It had two eyes and two smaller ones to the side similar to that of a prothean. The insect glowed a strange blue through what looked like cracks in the body or armor.

Suddenly it spoke in a deep malevolent voice, "**I am Mortem and you will be added to my collection.**" he said as he threw a devastating incinerate attack.

Kasumi managed to make it into cover, but Ramirez was not. He crossed is arms in front of him and took the brunt of the incinerate attack. It peeled off any armor, Ramirez had on his arms and screamed as his skin was burned. Kasumi ran up behind Ramirez, planting one foot onto his shoulder and spring-boarding off his back. She fired her submachine gun and pistol at the strange creature named Mortem, which wouldn't do too much damage by the looks of his strange armor.

Suddenly sniper rounds impacted the creatures armor as well and Ramirez remembered about Legion. Kasumi managed to make it on her feet and all three continued firing at Mortem.

Unfortunately Mortem was able to trace the sniper round back to Legion's location and fired a strange looking weapon he had gotten from his back. The weapon let loose a high velocity blue orb at Legion's location, who saw it coming and jumped off the building. The orb crashed into the building and completely destroyed it. Legion impacted the ground hard, but sustained very little damage to his platform.

Mortem was preparing to throw a wrap attack at Legion, but Ramirez charged the beast, firing his weapon as he ran. Mortem's attention was then changed to Ramirez, who was only a few feet away from him. Ramirez leaped into the air, however with one arm Mortem batted him out of the air. Ramirez slammed into the concrete hard, splitting it and sending bits of rock in all directions. Mortem charged his weapon and aimed it at Ramirez, who was still on the ground.

Legion fired his sniper rifle at the same time Kasumi threw a flash-bang grenade. They continued firing their weapons until Mortem unleashed a massive shockwave at the group. Kasumi and Legion were leaped out of the way and barely missed the attack.

Mortem suddenly stopped attacking. Across the galaxy the Collector General sent a telepathic command. "**Leave. This battle is lost. We have other plans in motion.**"

"**What of the general?**" Mortem asked, regarding the Batarian general inside the bunker.

"**He is of no use to use.**"

Using his wings, Mortem flew into the air and stared at Ramirez, who had just gotten up, "**Today is not your last human.**" Mortem then flew away, leaving the remaining Batarians to fend for themselves. Through a telepathic command, Mortem ordered all Collectors to delay any pursuers until he reaches his ship.

"Who and what was that?" Kasumi asked.

"I have the same question. C'mon we still have a mission to complete. We'll review the tapes from our helmets later." Ramirez replied.

The area around the team was once again silent with only the hum of the wind providing any noise. Legion was beginning his call for evac. Kasumi and Ramirez walked towards the bunker's entrance and inside found another set of doors. Ramirez raised his foot and forced his boot through the door. A lone Batarian was standing in the room with a raised pistol aimed towards Ramirez. He wore a black and red military uniform and seemed to stare right into Ramirez's eyes.

"General Baron Ulig, I presume." Ramirez asked quietly

"Who are you? Are you with Cerberus?" he asked jumpy. "You come to our space, to our world, to our city and spill our own blood on our soil! We were a peaceful people before your kind arrive and completely destroyed our way of life!"

"We are working with Cerberus, but that is all that you need to know. Now you can come with us the easy way or the hard way, which do you prefer?" Ramirez asked him.

"I may not be able to save my people life, but I'll be able to take yours." The general made a motion to fire his weapon, but Kasumi quickly fired on him with a sedative round. The general immediately began feeling the effects as everything in his vision became blurry. Within seconds he lost conscious.

Scooping the body of the general on his shoulder, Ramirez walked out of the bunker alongside Kasumi.

They were met by a pair white and yellow colored Blue jay shuttles landing a few meters from their position. Ramirez smiled at the person who stepped out of the shuttle.

"You guys alright?" Shepard asked them.

"Yeah. We had a bit of trouble, but we got our man."

Shepard gave a nod and pointing to the second shuttle said "Alright package him in and we'll head out."

"You got it Shepard." Ramirez complied with his orders and strapped the Batarian general into the shuttle after cuffing his hands and legs to prevent any attempt of escape.

* * *

**Har**

**9 meters from Batarian headquarters**

**Team A**

With the prisoner secured both teams stepped inside their own transport shuttles and calmly waited until the shuttle's thrusters were able to gain enough power to lift the shuttles.

Once they were in the air, Shepard once again had a bird's eye view of the city. The southeast corner of the city, the suburbs was even in worse shape than the frontlines of Superiority. It had taken the brunt of the fighting. Dozens of fires burned in the surrounding home's, and the sounds of explosions and gunfire were even more prominent.

"So Shepard are we going to get a feast after this mission?" Ramirez asked through the radio of the other Blue jay that he was flying in.

"You just might Commander." Shepard replied.

Suddenly alarms began ringing inside the shuttles.

"Everyone buckle in!" Senior airmen Kil yelled.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked the nervous pilot.

"We have multiple missiles inbound!" Without warning both shuttles banked hard one towards the left, the other to the right. Both teams inside the shuttles buckled themselves in securely.

Shepard made sure his seat buckles were secured and reloaded all of his weapons. "What the situation?"

The shuttle went hard to the right this time. "Looks like the Batarians have been preparing their anti-air capabilities," Kil said through clenched teeth. "They seem to be shooting everything they've got at us. I guess they don't enjoy you taking their general."

"Will we be alright?" Shepard asked.

"We should. I've deployed flares and shou-," The sound of pilot's voice suddenly became deathly quiet. "Shit…that's a lot of missiles."

There was a bone-splitting crash as one of the missiles must've hit the shuttle. "Shepard are you alright?" Ramirez asked through the radio.

"Pilot turn this shuttle around!" Ramirez screamed at the pilot on the other shuttle, no doubt wanting to rescue Shepard.

"No! Ramirez head back to HQ NOW! You have a HVP and it is vital any information he has to be taken to Cerberus or the Alliance."

"Bu-" Before Ramirez could protest, Shepard cut him off.

"That's an order and I expect you to follow it!"

"Yes sir." Ramirez muttered through clenched teeth.

"Captain I'll be making a landing in an open area in the jungle." The pilot informed them.

"Won't the AA sites there finish us off?" Jacob asked.

"No. They won't waste their time trying to finish off a wounded shuttle they know is going to land for repairs. They'll probably sent a search team to try to salvage any tech or take prisoners."

"Great." Jacob muttered under his breath.

"Ha! This is a perfect chance to put more of them down." Grunt said cheerfully.

Another crash was felt and this time the pilot's voice became urgent. "Right wing hit! I repeat right wing hit!" yelled from the pilot's seat. "This is CS-45 going down! Everyone buckle in and start praying!"

"We're going to make a crash landing aren't we?" Shepard asked, trying to keep his voice and demeanor calm.

Kil took a shuddering breath. "It's either that or be blown to smithereens in the air. People survive plane crashes all the time."

"But this isn't a plane. It's a shuttle." Jacob protested.

"Doesn't matter now. Brace yourselves!" the pilot ordered.

The shuttle crashed cockpit first into the dirt. It's rotors and armor peeling off as it rolled on its sides sending debris, dirt, and tree branches flying everywhere. Shepard thought he saw a blue insect-like being fly by just before he lost conscious and faded into complete blackness.

* * *

A/N: And there you have it. Also there will be tension within the team in the next chapter.


	10. Chapter 10 - The General II

A/N: This chapter will introduce antagonists and the main purpose for this story. Also review!

Sorry for the delay, however I hope the length of the chapter makes up for it

* * *

3-8-2184 0154 hours (Citadel standard time)

**Har**

**Forward Operating Base **

**Team B**

As the blue jay shuttle landed on the landing pad, Ramirez and his team stepped out along with their prisoner, the view from the landing pad allowed them to take in the sight of the city before them. Even at night, Ramirez could still see the waste of the city with little trouble, the blazing fires and numerous street lights providing enough light to witness the destruction. All around them Cerberus soldiers were running in all directions, the sounds of gunfire and the occasional explosion could be heard in the distance. The horizon was blotted out by the huge skyscrapers that the city consisted of, but the evident beauty of the structures had been somewhat marred by the days of nonstop warfare. Buildings all around bore their own individual mark of destruction and chaos. Some had been opened up by missiles, the explosions having left gaping holes in their sides. Others had been scorched from fire, or had partially collapsed; others had every window shattered into tiny fragments of glass. Sirens could be heard all around them, and the constant shouting from the Cerberus soldiers made it difficult for Ramirez to think.

"So this is what Hell looks like," he muttered numbly, taking in his surroundings with a heavy heart. As a titan, he had seen his share of carnage, so much so that at times it had little effect on him. However, the difference this time was that Shepard was longer with him.

_'Shepard is somewhere in that god forsaken battleground and I am here escorting a prisoner safe and sound.' _The thought made Ramirez sick, but he understood the reasoning behind Shepard's motivations, the lives of the many always outweigh the lives of the few.

Kasumi could sense his guilt and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and gave her a small smile and placed one of his hands on top her own. She blushed at the gesture and was happy her hood hid her facial expression.

The moment was interrupted by a cough. Ramirez turned around to see Anton standing in his usual white and yellow Cerberus assault armor. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?" He asked coyly. His smirk vanished when he only saw Ramirez's team on the helipad. "James where is Shepard?"

Ramirez slowly shook his head. "He wanted me to make sure the General got here safely. As far as I know he could be anywhere."

Anton just stood there not knowing what to say. As a soldier he knew following orders meant the difference between life and death, even if he was one to always question them, but did he have the heart to follow an order that would let his friends die so that numerous strangers could live? "Miranda would want… to interrogate the prisoner. I'd suggest you talk to her. The interrogation room is down the hall and towards the right when you step inside." He told them.

Ramirez nodded his head and turned to face his "Kasumi, get some rest and Legion try to intercept any radio chatter from Cerberus and the Batarians. Maybe their transmissions can give us an idea on Shepard's location."

Kasumi could feel that he wanted to be left alone and decided to get some sleep. Legion merely gave an affirmative and just stood there while the geth programs within the platform started to hack their way into the communications.

He then walked toward his assigned directions, hoping to quickly peel every single drop of information the general had tucked in his head. He led the cuffed general through the door. The hallway inside lacked any color and gave the impression of a demolished building. Ramirez took the prisoner down the hall and stepped inside first door on his right. In there was a rectangular table with two chairs on opposite sides. Once inside the room, he chained the general's legs to a chair and chained his already cuffed hands to the table in front of him.

"Alright here's how this goes. I ask you questions, you answer them. I neither have the time nor patience to deal with any crap that you'll have. So just make this easier on everyone and answer my questions. If you lie to me, then you'll suffer twice as much understand?" He asked with commanding tone.

"HA! If you think-" Before the general could finish his sentence, Ramirez punched him square in the rib cage, the sound of bones cracking could be heard. The general nearly collapsed from the punch, his raspy coughing and wheezing was proof of that.

"Now I want names, locations, communication codes, star maps, anything and everything inside that bald head of yours." he said.

"Soon your race will be exterminated through a righteous fire. You will beg for forgiveness when we unleash our fury!" The general practically yelled.

In response Ramirez got out his taser and tazed the general. He placed his hands on the general's mouth to prevent his screams from being heard. The general experienced immense pain as all the muscles in his body contracted giving him the worst cramp he had ever felt.

Satisfied that his message was clear, Ramirez placed his taser back in his armor's belt. "How about we start somewhere simple? That blue creature that fought us outside your bunker, what was it?" he asked in a frustrated tone. He was losing patience with the man and wasn't going to put up with more of his bullshit. When it came to protecting his friends, Ramirez was willing to do anything he could to keep them safe even beat the hell out of a chained prisoner.

"It does not matter what pain you inflict on me…the Hegemony wil-"

Before he could get a respond, the door opened and standing in the doorway was Miranda with her arms crossed in front of her chest. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Interrogating this bastard." He replied.

"In the hall now!" Knowing best not to argue with her, Ramirez obliged her request.

Once they were both in the hall, Miranda gave him an ice cold stare that slightly made him uneasy. "You think physically abusing him will gain us anything useful?"

"The sooner I can get information out of the gut, the sooner I'll be able to launch search and rescue to find Shepard." He defended.

"Clearly you need a lesson in proper information gathering skills. Watch and learn." she told him as she stepped inside the room, followed closely by Ramirez.

Calmly, Miranda took a seat in front of the general ignoring the lustful smiles he gave her. "Hello. My name is Miranda and I'll be interrogating you today. Let's start off with something simple shall we? What is your name and rank?"

The general practically spat in her face. "Fuck you, Cerberus whore. I hope my men find you and chain you to the wall and fuck the living breath out of you!"

Miranda only smiled in response. She knew better than to give him an emotional response. She was in control now, not him and she would remind him of that fact. "You know it's a real shame, those men of yours fighting and dying out there. They counted on you, and you're failing them. You can cease their deaths and suffering, all you have to do is give us the information we're seeking."

The general glared at her. "Ha! You think we are weak? We are all willing to die for our noble cause! We will ensure your race's stain on this galaxy is wiped out!" he yelled.

Miranda sighed. "Very well. Commander release the restraints on our colleague, he is free to go."

"What!?" Ramirez and the general asked in unison, believing they misheard her.

"He won't talk, therefore he is allowed to leave if he so wishes to."

"What? You can't be serious!" Ramirez exclaimed. He clearly furious at idea of releasing the prisoner. Nonetheless he obeyed his orders and walked over to the general to undo the restraints. He hoped Miranda had a plan to extract information from the general.

Just before Ramirez was able to undo the restraints, Miranda opened a file in her hands and looked at it with a concentrated stare. "It's a real shame, though that your family won't have the same luxury as you have."

Baron Ulig stared at her, confused at what she was referring to. As if to answer his question, Miranda handed him the file. It was a picture of a young female batarian and a small boy. They were both smiling deeply, with no care in the world. Next to the photo were financial records, addresses, and other contacts that Baron had over the years.

"Is this your family? Your wife, she is very lovely. And your son, with so much innocence. It would be a shame if anything were ever to happen them."

Ulig leaned over the table. "If you think of hurting them….." he warned through clenched teeth.

Miranda looked up. "Me? Of course not. Neither I nor my organization would ever think of hurting them, so long as you provide us with the information we seek. Otherwise a Cerberus team could just simply visit your home on the corner of South Shanton. Such a lovely place you have there. The team can then break into your home using the security code, 2-32-12, correct me if I'm wrong. They can then simply walk in, up the stairs of your double story home, take a right at the top to the room at the end of the hall. Your room, I'm sure. The team will walk in on your sleeping wife, put a pistol to her head and pull the trigger, spraying blood all over the new silk sheets she had just bought, which would be a total waste. Next they can walk over to the other end of the hall to your son's room and just like his mom, have whatever fire his life contains be extinguished."

Miranda looked at the general who was giving her a death glare. "The choice is yours, general."

Weighing his thoughts the general proceeded to divulge any information he had. Satisfied with the information she had gained, Ulig was released as an informant, not that he had much of a choice in the matter.

Ramirez exited the room with the intent on finding Shepard. "Ramirez where are you going?" Miranda asked.

"To find Shepard." he replied.

"No you're not."

"And why not?" he demanded, wanting a good reason why he shouldn't go rescue his long time friend.

"You're emotionally compromised and reckless right now. Besides Garrus's team is closer to Shepard's last known location, so we'll send him in. In the mean time you can get some rest. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go deliver my report to the Illusive man."

Ramirez decided to cool off, fully confident in Garrus's skills to locate and rescue Shepard. He decided to locate Legion and see if he had any update on Shepard's location.

* * *

**Har**

**Location Unknown**

**Team A**

Shepard opened his eyes slowly and groggy, somewhat awake he noticed everything was upside down and barely visible. His head felt swollen, and his seat belt, which kept him in his seat, felt as if it was digging into his body.

Slowly the events that had previously occurred came back to him. '_We crashed. Great we crashed in the jungle and now I'm hanging upside down. How long have I been unconscious?'_ He thought, wondering how long he had been in this predicament.

He started fumbling with the seat buckles trying to find the bottom buckle. After a moment of searching he found it and popped it open. Suddenly his lower body leaned forward, just before falling out of the seat and smashing through a part of an intact part of the windshield and hitting the ground hard.

The impact set electric shocks of pain through his body and radiated around his left arm. He tasted blood and realized that he'd bitten his tongue when he had hit the ground causing blood to leak through his mouth. With enormous effort, he pushed himself to his knees using his right arm as support. The slightest movement caused immense pain to be sent all throughout his left arm. He forced himself to look at it and immediately felt a wave of nausea; a bone was sticking out from his wrist and from the elbow up, his arm was completely bent the wrong way.

He used his good arm to push himself up to his feet and assessed his surroundings. Immediately he was able to make out the black and white uniform of Jacob, who was still dangling from his seat.

"Jacob! Jacob wake up!" Shepard called out his name, but his only response was silence. Jacob's body simply hung there limply.

"Jacob." He called out softly. Jacob groaned, but didn't move. Using his right arm, Shepard reached into his belt and pulled out a knife. Instead of wasting time undoing the seat buckles, Shepard simply cut them. Jacob unconsciously fell out of his seat, so Shepard used his right shoulder to catch him. However, the weight of the Cerberus operative caused both men to tumble towards the floor, or rather ceiling, of the wrecked shuttle.

Shepard groaned and pushed Jacob off of him. Getting back onto his feet, he looped one of Jacob's arms around his shoulder and dragged him out and away from the wreckage. He walked over to a tree and leaned the unconscious operative against it. Shepard looked at the wrecked Blue Jay and was shocked to realize that it was only half a shuttle. It ended just before the cockpit, with tangled teeth of charred metal and was on fire. The scent was almost enough to cause him to vomit.

Suddenly there was movement from the bushes behind them and instinctively Shepard reached from his pistol on his holster, only to realize that it was empty. A large figure emerged from the bushes and Shepard was relieved. Standing in front of him was Grunt, the krogan super soldier.

"Shepard! I knew a simple crash wouldn't keep you down." Grunt said with enthusiasm.

"Grunt, am I glad to see you. I thought it might've been an enemy patrol." It was only then that Shepard noticed that Grunt had sustained a few injuries himself. He had a few bullet wounds with cuts and bruises around his body, but nothing too major. Shepard also noticed that unlike him, Grunt was actually equipped with weapons. A total of a machine gun, assault rifle, shotgun, sniper rifle, two pistols, and large weapon with a rather long blade underneath it.

There was a cough behind Shepard. "Owwww," Jacob moaned, lifting his head. "That really sucked. Next time you think on making a crash landing Shepard, warn me so I can parachute out. I'm sure I'll be much safer." His eyes wandered over to the trashed shuttle and whistled. "Yeah, next time definitely parachuting out." He noticed Shepard's arm and cringed. "Uh, I think you might want to get that checked out."

"It looks worse than it is. Right now we have to find a way to get a transmission out to the team and..." Looking around he noticed there was only three of them. "Does anyone know where the pilot is?"

"Dead, even by krogan standards." Grunt replied, bluntly with a lack of emotion.

Neither Shepard nor Jacob pressed on the matter. "Anyway," Shepard spoke up. "We need to find a nearby camp or a communication tower or even a simple radio will do."

"Why not use our own radios?" Jacob asked.

"The helmet radios are only have a short range and the one on the shuttle is destroyed…so now we have to find one from the batarians."

"There was a Batarian camp near here." Grunt stated, pointing with his finger south. "They had a radio tower. Maybe we can use that." He suggested.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Shepard asked annoyed.

"You didn't ask." The krogan replied, calmly.

"Is that where you got all the weapons?" Jacob questioned.

"Heh heh heh." Grunt's, somewhat maniacal, laugh filled the team with unease.

"Well then," Jacob said as he pushed himself up against the tree into a standing position. "Lead the way Grunt."

Once the team was fully equipped with weapons, they set off deeper into the jungle. As they made their way towards the enemy camp, they found other parts of the shuttle all torn up. The large mass of twisted metal radiated heat as it burned.

It was long before they reached the enemy camp, only to see that it was buzzing with activity. It appeared as if an entire company of men where tasked with locating Shepard. He quietly led his team over to a log on top of small cliff, overlooking the camp. From here they had the perfect vantage point, and the darkness allowed them additional cover.

They heard a Batarian, probably the leader by the look of his uniform and figure. "These corpses are still fresh, which means that they have to be near." He said with an authoritative tone.

"Commander Iselk! The armory has been emptied." A batarian soldier shouted towards the commander.

The commander appeared to be in deep thought. "Well then this certainly changes things." Turning over to one of his subordinates, he said "Radio command and inform them of this new development.

Shepard was too concentrated to listen in on the conversation that he failed to realize that a Batarian soldier was patrolling the area and noticed Shepard's team hiding behind the log. "Hey guys they're over here!" he shouted as he attempted to aim his rifle at the group.

With impressive reflexes, Jacob rolled over onto his back and with quick speed, fired his shotgun. The round impacted the batarian, dead center in the chest killing him.

Almost immediately the log they were hiding behind was peppered with mass effect rounds, as the entire camp became aware of their location.

"Kill them. Do not let them escape!" Shepard heard Commander Iselk yell.

"Light them up!" Shepard yelled, firing his own weapon at the group. He felt the heavy vibrating ripple course through his arm as he fired his assault rifle with only one arm. The sound of the battle was almost deafening as hundreds of rounds were being fired in a matter of minutes. Shepard gritted his teeth as he fought to control his aim of the weapon. He sighted multiple infantry units that were attempting to flank them and watched as they were torn apart from the force of Grunt's machine gun, who appeared to be the only one actually excited about the firefight.

Jacob, who was sniping targets to keep them from rushing them, saw as a few soldiers were aiming missile launchers on their position. "Get down!" he ordered. BOOM! The impact caused a part of the cliff to collapsed, sending the log rolling down with it.

The sound of rustling leaves and clanking armor was growing louder in Shepard's ears. He knew they were getting closer and it wouldn't be too long before they managed to surround them.

"There's too many of them! We need to retreat!" Shepard yelled.

Grunt then equipped the strange weapon and fired, sending fireballs flying towards the batarians. No one could have predicted the damage it was capable of causing. As soon as the rounds impacted solid ground, it unleashed a massive blast vaporizing anyone near and leaving only a large crater in its wake. The blast was so strong that it caused the ground to shake and as a result the radio tower came crashing down on top of the batarian line, sending clouds of dust everywhere. Shepard took a small satisfaction that it landed directly on top of Commander Iselk.

"Heh heh heh. I like." Grunt said, eyeing the weapon and holding it as if it was the sole meaning of living. Shepard and Jacob exchanged nervous glances, not too sure that letting a reckless krogan super soldier handle a weapon capable of unleashing massive amounts of damage was a good idea, but in the meantime they had more pressing matters to deal with.

"Alright we'll use the dust as cover. C'mon this way." Shepard ordered running through the jungle, before setting behind cover where there were excess amounts of trees and not a moment too soon as grenades detonated near their positions. His shields faltered slightly before recharging.

"So anyone have a plan?' Jacob asked as he lifted three batarians, allowing Shepard to fire at them.

"Yeah one." Grunt said, holding his strange weapon up.

"No. Save it for later in case we need it." Shepard ordered. Just then a series of explosions drowned out all sound as missile launchers impacted the ground. "Grunt, Jacob cover me." Shepard ordered as he went prone on his stomach.

"You better have a plan Shepard!" Jacob shouted as he and Grunt attempted to suppress the enemy advance. Shepard however was placing any remote explosives he had, Jacob saw this and handed over his explosives as well.

Suddenly the unmistakable sound of a tank track's rolling through the jungle and tumbling over trees. "GET DOWN!" Jacob yelled. An instant later the main cannon of the batarian Ogre tank fired sending an 85mm round towards Shepard position. Jacob raised a barrier shield over the team, but the rounds kinetic energy was too much sending Jacob flying back a few meters.

"Grunt fire that damn weapon!" Shepard ordered as he threw two smoke grenades and a frag grenade at the approaching infantry.

Grunt brought up his weapon and fired at the tank. It exploded in a massive fireball, incinerating anyone who was near. "Ha! I love this gun!" he shouted into the air. Grunt at his point had gone berserk, one arm containing a machine gun the other holding the bladed weapon, utterly annihilating the enemy forces.

The distraction Grunt caused, allowed Shepard to run over to Jacob. "Jacob, are you all right?"

"Ugh, damn that's going to leave a mark." Jacob replied.

Shepard allowed himself a light chuckle. "That was damn near impressive. Now c'mon we have to move." He said giving Jacob a hand.

Turning his attention over to Grunt, he saw that the smoke screen was now large enough for them to make their escape. "Grunt, c'mon!" Shepard ordered.

Grunt sent one more round from his weapon before turning tail and retreating, though he would have much preferred to stay and fight.

He managed to quickly catch up to Shepard and Jacob as the trio ran from the enemy, who were not far behind. Just then the sound of a massive explosion went off, followed by the cries of various injured batarians.

Jacob laughed. "Hey Shepard I think that plan worked." Before Shepard could respond, the sound of a sniper going off was heard followed by Jacob collapsing towards the ground. "AHHH!" he yelled as he fell faced first into the ground.

"JACOB!" Shepard screamed. He quickly turned around to fire his assault rifle at the approaching enemies killing a whole squad, even with his injuries. It was then that he saw the glimmer on the scope of the sniper who had shot Jacob. Time seemed to slow down as Shepard's mind took in all the information. The sniper was approximately 200 meters away covered by two trees. At this range, coupled with his injuries, Shepard knew he couldn't hit the sniper, but the sniper had the perfect shot and Shepard knew it.

Before the sniper could pull the trigger fast enough, a bullet hit his left eye cracking open his skull as he collapsed to the ground.

Shepard looked behind him to see Jacob sitting and holding a smoking sniper rifle. Time seemed to revert itself back to normal as Jacob fired a few more shots in rapid succession. Shepard immediately ran over to him and gave him a hand up.

"Can you walk?" he asked him.

"I don't think so. The sniper shot my knee." Shepard looked down and saw blood was pouring from a gaping hole in Jacob's knee.

"Grunt…" Shepard began, but was quickly cut off by Grunt.

"I know." Grunt attempted to stall the enemy as Shepard dragged Jacob through the jungle. He saw a ditch only a dozen meters in front. Both men tried to quickly get to it as possible as the excess number of trees seemed to thin out and that was the only remaining cover in the area. Explosions started to detonate across the exposed field as enemy mortars zeroed in on their location. Shepard was only a few meters from the ditch when he suddenly felt a massive force hit him from behind that sent him flying face first into the ditch.

When he sat up he saw that the massive force that had shoved him was none other than Grunt, who had sustain dents to his armor and few wounds on his forearms. His face was blackened from the smoke of dozens of missiles that were used on him.

Three earthshaking blasts vibrated through the ground and Shepard heard the clanking of armored boots followed by the tracks of Ogre tanks.

"Shepard we have contacts! A shit load of infantry!" Jacob shouted, his sniper rifle firing at the closing infantry. "Confirming at least five tanks….Jesus, how many are there?" Jacob breathed. He ducked back into cover as a shell from the tanks impacted the ground in front of them, reducing the grassy plain into a dirt crater.

Shepard looked up and scanned the area to see the batarians were setting up gun emplacements and their infantry were advancing alongside tanks. He instinctively ducked his head slightly as a few shots flew over his head. Things didn't seem to be going very well for his team.

"Shepard this is a fight worth dying for!" Grunt excitedly shouted as he pulled a frag grenade from his belt and threw it as far as he could over the ditch. There was a deafening bang followed by cried of agony. He then managed to take out two more additional tanks. The loss of heavy firepower did halt their advance momentarily, though not for long as the last two batarian tanks suppressed them while the infantry advanced.

"These guys aren't going to give up." Jacob said. Using his biotics he lifted two batarians and Shepard was able to take them out.

"Son of a bitch," Shepard hissed as a round hit his shoulder. Still being able to fire his weapon, he popped up from behind cover and sprayed shots the advancing batarians. Grunt stood at the same time and, using his fortification to boost his shields, was able to fire two blasts from his weapon. Between the two of them, they were actually able to bring down both remaining tanks and a squad who attempted to rush Shepard's position. However, within seconds a tide of bullets forced them to take cover again.

"Shepard, if you have any clever last second ideas, now would be a good time!" Jacob shouted. "Fuck!" he swore as he was shot in the dead center of his right hand, leaving a blood leaking, and gaping hole. Jacob merely got out a clean rag and wrapped it around his wound and immediately returned to firing at the batarians.

"I'm thinking!" Shepard snapped, attempting to rise up and fire again, only to have a burst of bullets keep him down. He had ordered that Ramirez to ensure the safety of the general and return to base. He was beginning to sorely regret that decision. He looked at his team mates and saw that Jacob's lower half of his ear was torn off and even with his injured hand his determination to hold out as long as possible didn't wane. Grunt on the other hand, firing his heavy machine gun and cutting down dozen of enemies at a time, let out a vicious roar that froze the enemy's heart with fear. He had additional wounds to his face and forearms, but with his heavy armor he wasn't need of immediate medical support like Jacob and him. Getting from his position, Shepard aimed his weapon at the nearest batarain, and in unison the trio fired everything they had left cutting down any batarian foolish enough to step out of cover. For a second the tide seemed to turn.

Then things got worse.

So focused was Shepard that he wasn't aware that the Batarians were throwing in a special set of troopers.

"GET DOWN!" Grunt hollered over the deafening noise of gunfire. Jacob and Shepard followed his command and not a moment too soon as the ground in front of them was overwhelmed by an inferno. Everything was burnt to ash.

'_They have a flamethrower.' _Shepard thought, now realizing what provoked Grunt to take cover. The idea of dying the most painful way possible unnerved Shepard slightly. Dying at the hands of a bullet didn't bother him as the pain would be minimal at its worst, however being burned alive sent a shiver down Shepard's spine. He didn't have to be a mind reader to realize that Jacob and Grunt thought the same way as him.

"If you have a flash bang grenade use them!" Shepard ordered. He and Jacob took their combined total of three grenades and tossed them over the ditch. As soon as the sound of the flash bang detonating and the blinding batarians cries was heard, Shepard's team popped out of cover and fired at the exposed pryo troopers. Grunt using his last frag grenade tossed it into the dead center of pryo troopers. The grenade's explosion acted as a catalyst as all the pryo troopers' fuel tanks exploded burning them and anyone near alive. Their cries of agony filled the air and for a moment everything seemed to revert to silence. However, a stream of bullets caused Shepard's team to get back into cover. Now with the odds more even, Shepard's team managed to suppress the enemy and the open field between the two groups became no man's land as death showered the field with bullets flying back and forth like a hail storm.

It was then that the sound of a mantis gunship's rotors was heard and a few seconds later it appeared overhead, with its gun pointing at Shepard's team. "Hug the wall!" Shepard ordered. As his team did so, a shower of bullets impacted any exposed land. Shepard heard, Grunt cry in agony and saw that the top half of his left foot was completely shot off. At this point, Shepard was beginning to panic, when the sounds of missiles flying through the air was heard followed by a deafening explosion.

Shepard and his team looked up to see that a blue jay had arrived and it was a sight for sore eyes. The shuttle opened fire on the batarian line and within seconds a dozen batarians had collapsed to the ground, numerous bullet holes covering their bodies. Before the Batarians could recover from the surprise, Shepard and his team began firing back and coupled with the blue jay over head, were completely devastating the batarians. The ground soon became littered with their corpses as a stream of yellow poured onto the ground like a river.

After a few seconds of heavy fire, the batarians completely abandoned their positions, running as fast as they possibly could away from the Cerberus shuttle. Shepard's team fired a last volley after the retreating batarians, which managed to bring down a few more of them.

Once the area was secured, the Blue Jay landed and the doors opened to reveal everyone's favorite turian, Garrus Vakarian.

"Shepard, I believe I just saved your ass." He remarked with his usual teasing tone.

Shepard was extremely relieved to see his friend, and assisting Jacob, they limped over to the shuttle's opened doors. "Well I guess that's one point for then. Now you still have ninety-one more saves to go before you catch up to me, Garrus." He coyly replied.

Garrus let out a fake mocked snort as he helped Shepard carry Jacob towards the shuttle. Seeing his friend's wounds, he remarked "Spirits, Shepard. You look like hammered shit."

Shepard let out a laugh. "War will do that to you."

Once they were all strapped in, much to Jacob's hesitation, the Blue Jay lifted into the air. From there Shepard was able to get a airborne view of the city. The city of Superiority was at peace now. Although 'peace' didn't really seem like the right word choice. The batarians had been evicted, but the entire city was in ruins. Shepard could see the damage as the shuttle raised higher into the air. Shepard's mission was done here, but the Cerberus troops stationed here would continue fighting until the entire moon fell under their control. It was likely that with the information now obtained, collateral damage would no longer be a concern for Cerberus. Shepard let out a breath as the shuttle returned to the Normandy.

* * *

**Cerberus Headquarters **

**Undisclosed Location**

The Illusive Man sat at his desk, reflecting over the debriefing that Miranda had sent him. The report was harrowing, and the injuries that the team had sustained would take some time to heal. Thankfully, the Illusive man did not have any assignments critical for the war effort at this time. He imagined that the Alliance was now in session discussing its war strategy.

The Illusive Man eyed his terminal as a new message popped up. It was marked top priority and required the highest level of clearance to access it. The Illusive man brought the message up and noticed that it was a message.

It read:

_To: Redacted_

_From: U_

_As per your request, I've obtained information regarding the council races and analysis of their military capabilities and strategies on how to effectively fight them should they declare war upon us._

_**Asari **_

_The asari military is a mishmash of city-state sponsored elite units by the republics, from their militia groups to their fairly professional navy. Despite the large population asari, few of them enlist for military service, though much larger than human forces. All asari are capable of biotics, therefore presenting a very clear threat._

_Interestingly, with the exception of certain prestigious command positions, the asari military is fairly free of social maneuvering and manipulations of the rest of asari society. This is probably due to the freewheeling, often shifting nature of military deployments, which makes social bonding difficult. The capability of asari leadership is based on merit, therefore their senior ranks are the most dangerous threat and their removal from the battlefield should be top priority._

_**Ground Combat **_

_Asari do not practice attritional or asymmetric warfare concepts within their ground troops. With only a few wars in their history, their ground units focus on scouting, infiltration, and use of small elite tactical forces to decapitate enemy leadership and make use of biotic assisted static defense. Given the overwhelming power of the asari navy, this is hardly a surprise as they have never faced planetary invasion or large-scale wars since the krogan rebellions._

_Asari ground combat follows the idea of guerilla warfare, using small groups to harass and defeat a numerical superior force. They have zero confidence in the ability of large numbers as they rely more on stealth than raw firepower. Their military formations are designed to tie up and occupy and enemy force, whether it'd be pirate assault, invasion, or even simple mercenary fights._

_Split into three ranks, the front rank, under the cover of the rear guard, fight defensively pinning enemies down with biotics and automatic fire whenever possible._

_The middle ranks provide defensive barriers and warp attacks in order to halt the enemy advance. Huntresses and commandos strike swiftly, sowing chaos and confusing within the enemy ranks, forcing enemies to adjust to the multiple lines of attack. Flanking the enemy forces, causes their reserves to become committed in the fight, exhausting their forces._

_Once the enemy is demoralized, the senior ranks of the asari military spring into action. Prior to this point, they hurl powerful biotic attacks towards the enemy ground forces. Once the enemy has committed their reserves, the elite ranks charge, using biotic charge to close the distance, and destroy enemy command structure. They utilize biotic explosions and sniper fire to cover their retreat._

_Once the enemy central command is down, the asari military will use pressure tactics to encourage to encourage routs and retreats, while flanking commandos will rush ahead to set traps and further disrupt enemy fallback._

_Their air force and armored core will assault isolated pockets of resistance in order to divert the enemy forces from the frontlines or risk a gap in their force. However, their gunships and tanks do not stay in one place for long as they engage one group, reducing their combat effectiveness before breaking off and engaging another group. This is to ensure that enemy commanders either spread out, making it easier to target them, or group together reducing mobility and buying time for the asari forces._

_**Navy  
**The asari navy is unmatched in Citadel space in terms of flexibility, efficiency, and armor. They are the only race, aside from humanity, to ever produce a ship larger than 3 kilometers long._

_Asari ships have vastly more effective mass effect cores than any other race, and have seen some improvement due to the aid of prothean engineers. The asari 'Cascade cores' use shifting multiphase mass effect fields, balanced by a team of specialist biotic engineers, to allow faster mass shifting and some sort of short-range FLT jump. These cores allow asari ships to effortlessly dodge most long-range kinetic shots and even some torpedoes._

_The Asari navy also possesses some of the strongest ship armor in existence, along with humans. Silaris armor is incredibly resistant to both laser fire and kinetic shots, requiring numerous shots to break through it. Such armor equipped onto a Destiny-class super dreadnought allows it to stand toe to toe with an Alliance battleship, though they latter still having the advantage in firepower. While the techniques behind making the armor are public knowledge, the expense is massive. Only the asari economy, which controls 57% of the galactic market, is able to manage the expense in manufacturing such armor._

_The flexibility of the asari navy is due to the governing style of the Asari Republics. There is no bickering between the defense departments and the governments, which allows the navy to quickly gain any asset it requires. However, unlike the Alliance or the Hierarchy, most revenue gained by the asari goes not the military, but to infrastructure, research and development, and development of new colonies._

_The asari fleet, as with other races with the exception humans, is built around the power of their dreadnoughts, supported by heavy cruisers and destroyers and light frigates. Much like their ground deployments, asari naval doctrine relies on frigates acting as forward scouts and rapid deployment of strike forces rather than deployment from bases._

_In battle, asari frigates and destroyers harass the enemy and keep them occupied while their dreadnoughts and cruisers line up their shots. Asari do not prefer to engage fully in the fight like the turians, but rather use overwhelming numbers of extremely accurate long range bombardments by frigates, softening the enemy fleet. Their superior heat dissipation and armor allow them to engage longer in battle than other races. Once the enemy fleet is damaged, they go in for the kill._

_However asari ships are not built for endurance in space, in turian and human standards. The elegant design of their vessels means they sacrifice aerodynamics for cosmetics. Most patrols last less than two weeks, leaving gaps in their defenses. They also lack the experience to repel boarding parties and their ships lack the science and research labs in human ships and the intelligence components in salarian vessels. Despite these flaws, asari ships are solid with good damage control and full medical facilities. They also have strong survival and evacuation protocols on all their ships._

_**Strategy **_

_A large scale simultaneous blitzkrieg attack on multiple asari colonies would work best. Their light defenses would be easily smashed and in shock and awe would leave the enemy momentarily stunned. Depending our goal in the war, we can either bombard their planets or hold them hostage to force a truce. The asari will use the economy to hamper us and chances are to reduce losses they will accept and hit us when they have the advantage, therefore complete capture of several of their colonies would be more ideal._

_For naval combat, it would be ideal to engage the asari navy at close range where our ships can still do massive damage while leaving small maneuvering room for the asari ships. Heavy use of corvettes, frigates, and carriers are required to obtain orbital supremacy. The sheer number of bombers and frigates harassing their dreadnoughts will force the asari frigates and destroyers to break off and engage the (redacted) vessels. Our cruisers can protect our carriers while the destroyers engage the asari cruisers and frigates. Their efficiency and armor will be a challenge, however for larger vessels, boarding and capturing dreadnoughts and heavy cruisers are recommended._

_Once orbital supremacy has been established, total annihilation of the asari economy is required to ensure they are no longer a threat. Heavy use of drones, artillery, mechs, and aerial bombardment will weaken and demoralized the asari population. Cyber attacks on their large companies and/or insertion of elite strike teams should be deployed in order to gain valuable technological knowledge and wipe the asari of their advantage. In order to distract the asari elite units, large numbers of troops, tanks, and gunships should be used to distract them. Civilians taken hostage will allow us to use a bargaining chip, their safety for the surrender of the asari military. The asari lack of commitment to deploy their elite units to the frontline will give us a bonues as such individuals, while extremely experience and dangerous, lack numerical superiority. While we can replace our losses, they cannot so complete destruction of the top asari diplomats, scientists, military leaders and soldiers, teachers, historians, and economists must be achieved. The long life span of the asari ensures long-time resentment towards (redacted) so we must ensure they cannot regain superiority._

_**Salarians**_

_The salarian military mind is similar to that of an exterminator. They go about with such precision and efficiency to ensure they do not have to repeat the same task twice. The Salarian military and intelligence, primarily the STG, are too twined together that they cannot be separated. They believe that the idea of declaring war is both naïve and stupid. They only engage in combat once the target has been identified, scouted for weaknesses, scanned for alternative approaches, and indirect sabotage has already been performed._

_The powerful reflexes and high reaction times allow the salarians to outperform all other races in everything, but strength and durability. Therefore their military focuses on three main areas, precision targeting, forward recon, and preemptive strikes._

_The Salarian Union's military doctrine is based on a strategy of defense, but is operationally offensive by pre-empting enemy threats and securing a quick decisive victory. The Salarian Union maintains a heightened state of readiness, advanced early systems, and a robust military intelligence capability to ensure attackers are defeated even before the fighting begins_

_**Ground Combat**_

_The salarian ground forces are typified by four traits- extremely tough defenses, accurate weapons, rapid medical support and heavy use of drones. They are similar to a stiletto, small and utterly not much of a threat, but when used and applied correctly can it bring down the mightiest of forces._

_All salarian military units are designed for one task. While this inflexibility is a liability, when used correctly they are indeed a deadly force. The salarian military fights offensively, yet reactively. They plan every attack after intense scouting and intelligence gathering, and will craft down elaborate strategies that minimize their losses while guaranteeing the maximum damage to their enemies._

_Salarains specialize in cyber attacks and sabotage, making the enemy forces be on guard constantly. Entire salarian units are able to automatically react to flanking or other situations in unison. This is what makes salarians extremely dangerous even in small groups._

_Salarian ground forces are extremely mobile, eschewing fixed defenses. While worthless in a 'stand up' fight whether it be offensive or defensive in nature, they are unmatched in strike assaults, sabotage, and mobility._

_**Navy **_

_The salarian navy revolves around three main areas- heat endurance, range, and damage control. If a fight deviates from the plan, the salarians carefully manipulate events and accurately predict the reaction of the enemy commander in order to achieve victory. (Note: In fact they are able to plan for almost every little detail in a battle, that it is likely that they are aware of us planning effective strategies to defeat them and are counter-strategizing their own forces.)_

_Salarian technology, with the exception of armor, mass drives, and weapons, is well advanced beyond other races (again this excludes humanity as they do not use eezo). They use x-ray lasers and particle beams in their GARDIAN systems, which are linked into a pseudo-neural net of reactive VIs, and possibly a few AIs, optoelectronic sensors, and cybernetic links to salarian gunners. They've managed to create particle beam artillery, stealth tanks, and rumor has it they are constructing a prototype laser rifle, though it has been unconfirmed at this time._

_Salarian focus on heat endurance is unrivaled. Unlike other races, salarian heat sinks are multiphase ceramic liquids that go through energy phase shifts when properly energized. This consumes a great deal of heat energy and excess heat is vented through an array of radial vents, cleverly hidden in the 'wings' of salarians ships. (Note: In order to take this advantage away from them, the use of precise bombers and fighters are recommended to target this area on salarian ships.) They also maintain droplet heat sinks as a backup. They've even managed to reverse engineer a more primitive stealth drive that reduces a ship's heat signatures._

_The salarian concentration on range and speed is common knowledge, as salarians have the fastest ships. While the asari cores are superior in efficiency, salarian cores are superior in range, allowing a ship to perform at least two or three light years beyond that of other drives, with the exception of the humans. In-system thrusters in precise manners are also superior, giving their ships powerful maneuvering and speed._

_In battle salarian ships pair up multiple assault frigates with their fierce destroyers into hunting packs, with scout corvettes doing reconnaissance. Once the target is sighted, the scouts lock up targeting, while frigates and destroyers dive in. With the enemy fleet engage with lighter units sometimes even light cruisers, heavy cruisers and dreadnoughts begin sniping from the sidelines._

_This forces the enemy fleet to break open their battle formations to deal with heavy ships, annoyingly the heavy ships will retreat back continuously fighting weakening the enemy fleet further. At this point, the destroyer/frigate attacks will tear the guts of the fleet, while light cruisers fire on advancing ships, acting like some sort of wall. When the enemy fleet is weakened enough, the salarians deploy their dreadnoughts to destroy any remaining resistance._

_Salarian ships are sculpted in long elegant lines that come to a broad crown in the front and spreading wings in the rear. This design enables them to perform quick strikes and direct assaults at the cost of lack of efficiency in heavy battle._

_Damage control equipment and medical treatment facilities are built into every single ship. They make heavy use of VI automation and mechs to cut down on the requirement of salarians to crew the ships. They are not built to repeal boarding actions as they rely on security stations to prevent this._

_Salarians build their ships to withstand very long patrols. Each vessel has a science lab with mainframe, sensors, and spectroscopes. They also feature intelligence labs, with compilations of intelligence related to their mission and secure data communications with the STG, which at this point we still haven't been able to crack it._

_**Strategy**_

_After much extensive analysis, there is no effective strategy to deal with the salarians as war between them and us results in a pyrrhic victory at best and mutual destruction at worst. Blitzkrieg will not work as the amassing of large number of troops will heighten their awareness and begin preparations for a counter attack. Use of drones and cyber attacks will be ineffective as the salarian are unrivaled in this area. If the salarians are pressed into a corner they will use biological weapons, similar to that of the genophage and the krogans, and we will respond with the use of nuclear weapons. Both societies will be wiped out. While our colonies not located near a mass relay are safe from such attacks, we can expect to lose a total of 37% of our population in the first year of combat alone. The salarian defensive counter measures are extremely tough and their mines guarantee that our ships suffer numerous losses. Likewise our defensive counter measures would obliterate the salarian fleet. In essence neither side posses enough firepower to defeat the other._

_**Turians**_

_The entire race is basically an army. Because of this every member of the species over the age of 15 has some form of military experience. Their weapons are more of a third limb than anything else. The army is so huge, that it is larger than the asari, salarian, human, and batarian ground forces combined; numbering at 1.12 trillion soldiers, excluding reserves. They focus on flexibility as even the smallest unit can call in for air support. Their biotics are grouped together, making them easier to find and harder to kill._

_The fact that the turian army outnumber entire populations and that they practice total warfare, it's no wonder why the threat of turian intervention keeps races in check. Unlike other races, the turians are willing to fight anyone to the last man, to the last rifle, to the last bullet._

_Turians focus on three things, overwhelming firepower, strict unit discipline and effective combinations of forces. As of right now the cleverest turian general would be Adrien Victus as that bastard hasn't lost a single battle. Though his 'recklessness' has caused his career to stagnate a bit, I have a feeling that he doesn't care._

_**Ground combat **_

_The current combat doctrine of the turian army is based on the effective combined utilization of holding formations and strike formations with combined-arms warfare. In the case of an attack, the holding formations would contain the enemy and strike formations would counter-attack to neutralize enemy forces. In the case of an attack, the holding formations would pin enemy forces down whilst the strike formations attack at a point of the turians choosing. The fact that they also bring in heavy firepower and usually outnumber the opposition doesn't hurt either. They sacrifice tactical flexibility and innovation for strategic and operational flexibility and adaptability._

_Turian basic ground combat is based on a combination of arms. Every turian ground force is about 35/35/30 split of infantry, combat armor, and air support. This means that while they have zero advantages, they also have zero weaknesses._

_The turians posses' three unit types: assault, defense, and open. An assault unit is meant to break strong defensive enemy lines. Defense units do the exact opposite; they are placed in strategic locations and are meant to defend ground, which they will do to their last breathe. Open units are the most flexible, as they are when fighting in the field, or when clearing urban areas and/or stations. The breakdown of not only the numbers, but kinds of vehicles, infantry, and air support varies based on these roles. For example, defensive units have more lighter vehicles and aircraft, heavier infantry, while open units have almost all light infantry and heavy aircraft and artillery support. The only liability to their combat doctrine is that they are unable to innovate, for example if outnumbered and outgunned the Turian army will sacrifice entire units to stall the attackers while the retreating forces lay traps to cover their escape. Humans, on the other hand would create weapons from whatever resources they have in the field, such as nail bombs, Molotov cocktails, and even use noises just to annoy and frustrate the enemy. This causes the enemy forces to advance slower and more cautiously, covering less ground and their focuses is drained away from the battle due to the human's distractions. _

_**Navy **_

_The turians have a big gun fixation, as seen by their Giant Mass Accelerator Cannons (GMAC). They have the largest industrial sector, problem is they don't know how to use it to create other things that aren't meant to kill or hurt someone. The turians have the largest military fleet in the galaxy and have the largest amount of dreadnoughts, right now I believe is sixty in total with seven carriers. 65% of the turian naval fleet can be classed as a heavy cruiser or heavier, while they lack scouting abilities I'd doubt that'll be necessary with their firepower._

_Their maneuvering is adequate, while their sensors are above average. Their damage control and supply capacities are extremely impressive. While their medical department is improving to stellar levels, research and scientific labs are nonexistent._

_Contrary to popular belief, the turians have the best and strongest logistics division than any other race, probably because the military needs it to succeed. This allows them to engage excellent in all levels of combat ranging from small to large. With the Volus managing their economy, the turian war machine is nearly invincible. The only real threats they have are the (redacted) and the geth, both of which are machines. Despite not seeing large scale action, the experience the turians have gain never goes away as they literally re-act every battle and would create new ones at SCHOOL! I kid you not, I ask a turian seven year old what he did in summer camp, and do you know what he said? He said, he learned to FIRE A SNIPER RIFLE! WTF?_

_Turian ships are built with a blend of aerodynamics and cosmetics. They have on long center hull, with two wings on either side swept back that clearly mark them as a warship. Even their merchant ships are simple heavy frigates and destroyers or light cruisers with attached cargo-pods, and their freighters are mostly a pair of cruiser hulls cut in half and slapped to either side of a large cargo-pod system._

_While they don't have backups or secondary fallback systems, their power management levels are superb. Their weapons hit harder and their shielding is tougher than almost any other ship class equal size in another race's navy._

_All turian ships have a gym, hand-to-hand combat ring, firing ranges, and a big lounge area. Since all turians are practically soldiers, they rely on Volus, and while they used to rely on the salarians and the asari they are slowly being phased out by humans. I guess they're smarter than to trust the asari and salarians on their ships. Good thing to since they've created the (redacted)._

_Turians go very heavy on forward and broadside firepower, with one class focused on it. They have the most extensive GARDIAN arrays, and their ECMs used to be pretty pathetic, the new (redacted) Alliance VIs being exclusively sold to them has drastically improved it. In fact it would take either a dozen VIs or a single AI to crack through. The human and turian military are so twined together that I'd think they'd be married if they could, which is probably why the salarians and the asari have stepped up their espionage efforts on both of us._

_**Strategy **_

_After countless analysis and scenarios, the results have come out the same. We lose, every single time! The turians, while lacking in some areas, are so strong on things like firepower, logistics, and numbers that any weaknesses we can employ are useless. An attack on the turians would just unite every single one of them. However there is one good thing, because of the extremely good relations and the fact that we are a deterrent to (redacted) they'll most likely attack (redacted) or (redacted), plus our shared hatred of the (redacted) gives something to unite us._

_**Humans **_

_I cannot slip into Alliance space; therefore I recommend all espionage efforts against them._

When the Illusive man finished reading the last sentence, he almost chuckled. He knew that was meant for any wandering eyes that weren't his. While he was smarter than to fully trust the turians, he knew that their honor and good relations with humanity guaranteed a mutual alliance that even he wasn't willing to jeopardize. Despite that it was best to still be careful and be ready for anything. He then had his personal AI, Charon actively guard it.

He was about to retire for the night when suddenly the doors opened to reveal a somewhat tired and exhausted Cerberus communication specialist. This was the Illusive man's personal communications officer and had proved his loyalty to the organization time an time again with no hesitation. It was this commitment that allowed the Illusive man to trust this specialist with even the most vital of information. Panting with breathe, he said "Sir…we have…confirmation….of Commander…Iselk being in the city of Superiority." He finished, gaining his breathe.

The information caused the Illusive man to be absolutely stunned, something that was never heard of. Turing to face the dying star in front of his station, he quietly said "This…changes everything."

"Should we inform Captain Shepard?" the Cerberus specialist asked.

"No. The Collectors are top priority." The head of Cerberus replied. "That'll be all."

"Aye, sir." The Cerberus specialist said as he exited the room.

_'So Ilek, you've managed to find your way of Shanxi. Question is what are your motives now?'_ The Illusive man pondered as he thought over the implications the survival of that batarian has now caused.

* * *

**Uncharted Space**

**Collector Ship **

The creature known as Mortem entered the command deck, where he received a transmission from three unknown figures. Their holograms appeared on screen, but were blackened and were using voice disguisers to avoid being identified.

"Ah, Mortem so kind of you to join us." One of the black figures said with extreme sarcasm.

Mortem growled in response. "Hold your tongue primitive! Your kind hasn't even developed space flight, so do not talk down to me!"

"That may be true, however you still require my agents to assist you on your mission. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

Mortem was not happy having to deal with primitives. Such acts, he believed were underneath him. However, he didn't dare question the Collector General's orders.

"I assume the one they call Shepard has been dealt with?" One of the other figures said, this time with a slight feminine voice.

Both Mortem and one other figure remained silent. Before Mortem could respond, the other figure beat him to it. "No. Shepard escaped my men, however he was severely injured in the process. The good news is that is time we now have time without risking interference from that pathetic human."

"Well then, I guess we can carry on the next phase of our operation. Mortem, has the gas been developed yet?" the feminine figure asked.

Mortem shook his head. "No. My scientists state that it'll be ready for disbursement in three weeks. Has our target been chosen?"

"Yes. After a brief update by my agents, we believe Omega will be the ideal testing ground. Once the gas is released, your men will attempt to take the asteroid." the large figure said, the same one who had insulted Mortem earlier.

"Then that settles it. Gentleman I'll see you once the next phase of the plan has been complete." The feminine figure said. All users holograms disappeared, leaving Mortem to decide what to do in the mean time.

"Pilot, take us to Hegemony space." he ordered.

His response was only a vibrating sound, which indicated affirmative. Aside from the General, Mortem was the only other Collector able to speak. As his ship approached the mass relay, he had a sudden thought to attempt indoctrination of his kind. He smiled at the thought as his ship vanished in the electric current of the mass relay.

* * *

A/N: Yeah I know I left you guys with a shocking ending. What will be next?


	11. Chapter 11 - Reunion I

**A/N: Just a reminder for my readers, all reviews are welcomed. V-rcingetorix's for example has helped me give you some of the combat scenes and details. Also any plot suggestion will be taken into consideration, as I enjoy having PM conversations with my readers discussing the details of the story. If you have any questions or concerns please PM me.**

* * *

3-22-2184 1237 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Corvette**

**Medical Lab**

**En route to Arcturus station**

"What you did Shepard was clearly irresponsible and you needlessly put your life, and those of your team, in danger. What do you have to say for yourself?" Chakwas said, scowling Shepard like a mother. The reason being he had sustained grievous injuries that could have been avoided if he wasn't so focus on completing the mission. This was the fourth time she had lectured him on his injuries and would probably continue to until he was healed or stopped coming into the infirmary. Though now his arm was in a full length cast, it did not bother him much and he still had some movement. He was given pain killers to relieve some of the pain, he still felt a strong stinging and burning sensation from time to time.

"It could have been worse." He sheepishly replied. He knew that as the ship's doctor, and as a critical member of the crew, that Chakwas deeply cared for everyone onboard and especially him, which was why he was often the brunt of Chakwas's infamous lectures on safety.

"Well, Shepard the operation was a success, however I'm more concerned with your physical well being. As I doctor I advise you not to part take in any extraneous exercises for at least another two weeks."

"And by 'extraneous exercises' you mean?"

She gave him a glare that could melt the Normandy's plated armor. "I mean no ground missions until you are medically cleared." She stated with pure authority.

"And what about Jacob and Grunt?" He asked looking over to his two comrades that were being examined by Mordin nearby. Shepard, despite his injuries, was more worried about his two team members who had taken a beating during their escape from the batarian forces.

Before Chakwas could update Shepard on their conditions, Mordin took it upon himself to deliver his diagnosis. "Grunt's injuries are almost completely healed due to his species' unique redundant systems. Krogans are able to handle more pain and damage to their bodies as a result. Would still advise to avoid any more gunshot wounds, such distractions from my work are problematic. As for Operative Jacob, his injuries should take a longer time to heal, but should make a complete recovery in time."

"Well that's good news to me." Jacob proclaimed with enthusiasm.

"So does this mean I can go now?" Grunt asked nonchalantly.

"Of course." Mordin replied, nodding his head. He then turned his head towards Jacob. "You may leave if you wish, however I must insist you either use crutches or a wheel chair."

Over the speakers, Joker's voice piped in. "Hey, don't feel back Jacob. Could always use another crippled pilot over here."

Jacob merely chuckled at the joke. "No thanks, I'll stick to what I know best."

"Getting shot?" Joker seemed to be having a good day, if his constant jokes were any indication.

"How about you focus on flying and they can focus on the ground missions, Flight Lieutenant." Chakwas remarked coldly.

"Uh-h…y-yes ma'am." It seemed even the sarcastic pilot knew not to anger the good doctor.

"If you'll excuse me, Shepard. I must go analyze the Collector sample that Cerberus has sent for studying." Mordin eager to get back to work quickly walked out and headed towards his lab. All the while humming a tune to himself.

"Well at least the ground team is recovering. But we're still down a pilot and I doubt Joker would ever want to leave the Normandy cockpit willingly." Shepard said, trying to think of how they'll be able to get a full-time pilot on such a short notice.

As if on que, EDI's avatar appeared in the room. "Shepard if I may make a suggestion. The reporter that you rescued from the quarian ship seems to have a history in aviation mechanics and has had flight training from the National Aviation Academy on Earth. It seems he may be a suitable replacement."

Shepard merely raised his eyebrows at the turn of events. He glanced at Chakwas and said "Well that's convenient."

"Though his file also states that he was kicked out of the academy when they found that he was upgrading his aircraft outside the academy's regulations." EDI warned.

"Did he ever have any disobedience issues with any of his instructors?" Shepard inquired.

"Outside his retrofitting of his aircraft? No."

"Well that's good enough for me. If you'll excuse me, Chakwas. I have a pilot I have to hire." Before he walked out of the medical bay, he turned around and saw EDI's avatar was still there. "Do you know where I can find him?" Shepard asked.

"You will find him in the engineering deck." EDI said, in a matter of fact tone. It seemed as if EDI only stayed in the room just to inform Shepard where he could find the pilot.

'_Now I see why Joker hates EDI.' _Shepard mused to himself as he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to go to the engineering deck.

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Recreational Center**

"I'm telling you that there is no way that was pass interference!" Kaidan gestured with his fork. He along with Garrus, Zaeed, and Ramirez were all watching the super bowl game between the Chargers and Saints. "If the Saints can score another touchdown in the next quarter, they'll be able to win no problem."

"Bullshit! If the Chargers win their next match, they go through the final with the Jets!" Zaeed stated back, brandishing his knife at the opposing fan. "You just don't want the Chargers to win because they stole the Cowboy's old quarter back!" The outcome of the game determined more than just bragging rights. Each member had a betting pool of ten thousand credits for their preferred teams and chances were it would be getting higher.

Kaidan gasped dramatically before turning to Garrus, who was sitting next to him on the rather luxurious black leather couch. "Garrus, tell Zaeed that I am no longer interested in the conversation."

Garrus merely chuckled before turning to Zaeed. "My compatriot here has decided that he has lost interest in the argument and has decided to ignore you."

"Yeah yeah. I'm not deaf you know." Zaeed grunted.

"Well you are past your prime." Ramirez quipped in.

Zaeed grumbled in response. "Kid, I have more combat experience than you have years in your life."

"I don't doubt it."

They turned their attention to the screen and saw a bunch of black and blue colored padded people running around, one side trying to protect the ball carry the other trying desperately to take him out.

The two football teams have had a pretty strong rivalry for a few years now. They watched as the two teams skirmished around the field, players constantly lunging their bodies in an attempt to stop the other team. A Charger full back with the number 45 was running across the field seemingly unopposed while just 40 yards away from the end field. They watched as a black colored player ran towards the blue colored ball carrier and just a few feet away lunged away lunged his body. His efforts proved vain when the ball carrier, instead of being tackled by 320 pounds of pure muscle, spun to his left and with managed to drive the ball towards another touchdown. The fans on screen cheered at their home team scoring.

Zaeed erupted in a round of cheering as the player and the commentators went crazy. "Now that's how you drive a ball home!"

Garrus and Ramirez toasted their beers in celebrations, while Kaidan skulked as the opposing team scored.

"C'mon Kaidan cheer up. There is still two quarters left." Garrus said. "Maybe they'll fare better on offense."

"I will like to see the Charger's defense try to stop the Saints from scoring."

"Is that a challenge?" Zaeed questioned.

"Ha! Two hundred credits if the Saints manage to score a touchdown." Kaidan replied.

"I'll take that bet." Zaeed said, putting another two hundred credits on the table.

"This is going to be fun." Ramriez told Garrus, seeing how Kaidan and Zaeed bonded over football even though they supported opposing teams.

They turned back to their drinks and the game, laughing as it played out. It was nice, everything considered. Even though there was a galactic war raging around them, even though they were on a warship in the middle of space belonging to a secret military branch, even with their own dreams and personalities, it was nice that four team members could still share a drink and watch sports.

"To all members of the Normandy," Shepard's voice rang out through the ship. "We have docked with Arcturus station and a few crew members will be bringing in supplies. If you have a requisition order, I recommend you list them now."

Once Shepard's transmission ended Garrus got up. "Well I better go and make sure they remember to bring back whatever dextro food and drinks they can find." The other three members paid him little attention, their focus concentration on the game before them. Garrus shaking his head at his companions' lack of interest left the center.

* * *

**Arcturus station **

**System Alliance Parliament Headquarters **

Once the Normandy had exited worm space it appeared fifteen kilometers from Arcturus station, the head of the Alliance Parliament. Governors, Senators, Representatives, and even the Director all met four times a year to discuss major policy proposals from improved social safety nets to increased military spending. The station itself appeared to be a crimson mega-giant star. Having a smooth saucer-like sphere shape. Lights illuminated the exterior all along the docks. If it wasn't for the strong lighting, one could confuse the station for a small moon against the black background of space. The station had numerous docking stations for both military and civilian vessels. Several ships flew gracefully around each other; one small freighter vanished into FTL, leaving a glowing purple light-line in its wake.

Then there were the station's defenses. Orbiting the station were fifteen ion cannons, each measuring 1.3 kilometers tall and 600 meters long; each station is capable of firing 68 kilotons of firepower every four seconds, having six B61 nuclear missiles for anti-capital ship capabilities, and one B41 nuclear bomb capable of unleashing 25 megatons of nuclear firepower. It was retired during the 20th century, however they were reinstated in 2145 with only ten ever built. All the stations were hovering protectively around the massive space station.

And that was just taking into account the station's defenses, not to mention the 23 hornet-class nuclear space mines and the 45th flotilla, a detachment of the seventh fleet. Originally it was supposed to be guarded by the seventeenth and nineteenth fleet, however with the losses the Alliance navy sustained it was decided twenty-one ships would permanently guard the station from attack; two light battle cruisers, twelve heavy cruisers, and seven heavy destroyers

After Shepard had delivered his transmission he had received an order from Head Admiral Hackett on his private terminal. It stated to meet with him at his earliest convenience. Though he did not state any particular reason, Shepard knew something big had gone down or was about two. Navigating his way through the station, and greeting some old time friends, Shepard found himself in a room face to face with Hackett and Anderson. The interior was rather small with a small round table in the center.

"Shepard, it's good to see you again." Anderson said, shaking his long time friend's hands. He then noticed Shepard's left arm was encased in a cast. "What happened to you?" He asked.

"Uh…we had…a bad landing with the shuttle. Some of the ground crew is still recovering, but the majority of us are still combat operational." He replied. His attention was drawn to the one man that had control of the entire System's Alliance Navy, Head Admiral Hackett. Giving the Head Admiral a salute, he said "Sir."

"At ease, Captain." Hackett said. He was not one for formality when the situation did not call for it. He had nothing against it; it was just that he disliked all the Admirals trying to gain his favor by getting on his good side. Unfortunately for them, the only good side he had for anyone was when they showed they had the skills and the courage to lead. "Shepard, I call you down here because we have a major problem."

'_Is there any other type?' _Shepard mused.

"S.A.I.D has been monitoring quarian transmissions, when they picked up some critical information." S.A.I.D or Systems Alliance Intelligence Department was responsible for the espionage and intelligence gathering efforts of the Alliance Navy. "Our liaison to the migrant fleet has been shot down over a geth controlled planet. As you know, up until this point they have been assisting the batarians by conducting raids on Alliance merchant ships. Parliament decided that it could no longer continue and decided to push the Citadel Council to great amnesty for their crimes against the Alliance in exchange for not siding with the batarians." He explained.

"Why haven't we done this sooner?" Shepard asked.

Hackett and Anderson exchanged glances at each other, before Hackett gave Shepard an answer. "Because in the past there hasn't been any reason to since the raiders were often easily driven off," Hackett leaned close as if afraid that someone else might hear the information he was about to divulge. "However, with the Alliance Navy, Army, and Air force coordinating together for a major offensive we cannot risk any disruptions."

"I don't understand Admiral. Any offensive action by the Alliance forces always required the coordination of all the Alliance's branches."

"Not one like this, Shepard." Anderson said. "Having weathered the initial assault, our forces are prepping for an attack on a batarian colony responsible for ship construction on the edge of the traverse. Because we lack numerical advantage, we've enlisted the help of the turians. Fleet Admrial Maximus Palavenus will be the Supreme Commander of what we are calling the Citadel Joint Strike Force. The asari and raloi have pledged military support, while the volus and salarians have offered medical and monetary support."

Shepard let out a whistle. "That is one large force you are carrying towards the batarians. Might be a bit overkill."

"Not this time, Shepard. In all honesty we'll be fighting against a foe that is far more advanced…the Collectors." Anderson said with a face full of grim. Seeing Shepard's shocked face, he continued "I don't know how our troops will react, but we have to try. If they are the Reaper's advanced scouts then the less they know about us the better."

"In the meantime, you focus on getting that liaison to Arcturus station safe and sound." Hackett ordered.

Giving a salute, Shepard responded "Yes, sir. Now who exactly is the liaison I'm supposed to extract and from where?"

Hackett clicked a button and a hologram of a planet appeared. "This is Haestrom. A former quarian colony shortly before the Exodus. Our liaison to the Mirgrant fleet is Admiral Koris. He has been trying to dissuade the migrant fleet from openly supporting the batarians to no avail, until now."

"What changed?" Shepard asked.

"Following a failed raid, one of their Admirals, along with his or her ship, were annexed by the batarians. From what we've been able to gather, the Admiral and the crew have been detained and locked away in of the batarian gulags. It seems this had the negative effect of alienating many quarians from assisting the batarians any further. In order to make sure we have any peace agreement with the quarians, Admiral Koris must survive. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, sir."

"Good. And one more thing, if anyone asks you were never on _Har_."

Shepard nodded his head and left to board the Normandy. On the way there, he established a link with Joker. "Hey, Captain what's up?"

"How long until we are flight ready?"

"Well about thirty minutes after pre-flight checks and another three for flight authorization from Arcturus traffic control. Why?"

"We have another rescue mission."

This seemed to get Joker up and running. He immediately began checking all the prerequisites needed before takeoff. "Hey, Captain. Did they tell you who we're rescuing?"

"An Admiral from the migrant fleet."

"You do realize the irony in that don't you?"

"It'll make a great laugh later, but right now if we don't rescue the Admiral the migrant fleet will continue to assist the batarians and rescuing him will be a hell of an olive branch." He stated, walking quickly back to his ship as he possibly could. A few even raised their eyebrows, seeing a rather athletic man fast-walking across the station.

"So know you are a diplomat, huh? I swear Captain, you were a prodigy in another life. Hey maybe this time, the quarians won't shoot you on site."

"Just get us airborne as fast as you can, Joker" He reprimand.

"Aye, Captain." With that, Joker cut transmission to focus entirely on all preflight diagnostic.

Realizing that his injuries would prevent him from actively serving in the ground team, he knew he could give support over their comms. Still he was aggravated at the thought of having to stay on the Normandy doing nothing while others put their lives at risk.

'_Better get it over with.' _Shepard thought as he reached the Normandy's airlock.

* * *

**Haestrom **

** 200 meters from crash site **

"Prazza, I've got six geth. All standard trooper platforms, I can engage now."

"Copy that, Reegar. It's Lieutenant by the way." A rough growl was heard over the comms. Reegar was neither happy nor was he surprised that Prazza was the one leading the marine platoon. Nonetheless he has managed to avoid feeding him to the machines.

"On my mark." Prazza said, holding up a hand. When he saw the geth platforms were in position he closed his fist and said, "Mark."

Stepping out from behind the wrecked ship they'd been hiding behind, the quarian marine platoon fired a volley of disruptor ammo into the center of the geth squad. The shots fired sliced through all the geths' metallic frame with ease, sparking circuits firing in every direction. Using his rifle, Reegar fired at the rear geth platform, its shield failing followed by an explosion.

"Vexa take out the remaining three." Reegar ordered over the sound of the firefight.

The remaining geth fell upon their fallen comrades, as an explosion from Vexa's missile launcher vaporized the geth platforms.

"Casualty report." Prazza ordered.

"Six geth platforms neutralized, zero losses on our side." Reegar responded.

"Admiral, the area is secured." Over the radio, Koris' voice was heard.

"Good. Get your men back here."

"Yes, Admiral." Facing his men, Prazza ordered "We're heading back to the wreckage site. Be vigilant."

It wasn't a long walk back to the wrecked ship. The _Qwib Qwib_ originally had been designed as an volus heavy cruiser. While the ship had no weaknesses, it also had no strengths. It was an-all round ship even keeled ship, however it was no match for geth missiles. The _Qwib Qwib_ and her two escorts the _Fos_ and _Ity _were shot down and severely damaged beyond repair. When they had arrived they saw the remaining scientists and engineers trying to make repairs to the ship's communications. To Reegar it was all in vain. Right now they had to get out here; no doubt the geth would send a larger force.

Walking over to the repair crew, he was brought to a stop by an all too familiar voice. "Stop," Tali ordered when he was near a bundle of wires. "Something's disturbing the circuitry of all the transceivers."

"And you think you know what it is?"

She grumbled in response. "Not something that can affect electronics on this grand of scale."

"Reegar!" A quarian marine yelled running through the wrecked ship and nearly tripping over some wires.

Reegar recognized the marine. He was young and had showed excellent skill, but was a bit reckless.

"Calm down son. What is it?"

"Geth drop ship!" Within seconds the sound of gunfire could be heard raging outside the ship. Reegar loaded his rifle and Tali did the same with her shotgun.

"And what do you think what you're doing?" Reegar said in a condescending tone.

"Getting ready for a fight." And glaring at him from behind the visor of her mask, she added "And don't try to stop me."

Reegar chuckled in response. "The more guns, the better." He said running behind her, followed by Zio, the young marine.

As they reached the battlefield, they took cover behind a severed wing of the ship. Coming at them were seven regular geth platforms, three geth hunters, two rocket troopers, and they were being led by a geth prime.

"Painting targets," Zio declared, and a flare from his sniper rifle signaled the round that followed. It connected with the face of a regular platform, dropping its shields. Zio tried firing again, but was forced back down by a rocket coming from the rocket trooper. "Keelah, this is going to be difficult."

Tali, using her omni-tool, hacked one of the geth rocket troopers. It soon switched targets and began firing at its allies. One of its rockets hit the other geth trooper and both were destroyed by fired from the opposing sides.

Vexa firing her missile launcher managed to keep the geth pinned down, however they started to use drones to draw fire away from the platforms. "I don't have much missiles left! Any ideas?"

"We hold our ground!" Prazza ordered.

However, a pair of geth hunters appeared right behind the quarian platoon as they cast of their stealth blankets dissipated as a result of their shot-guns firing.

"Behind us!" Cried a marine, but was soon silenced when two rounds from the hunter's shotgun tore right through his armor and shields.

"Everyone switch targets!" Prazza ordered. The entire platoon did as they were ordered and began firing on the pair of geth hunters. Soon their shields dropped and were torn apart from the hail of fire from the quarian line, however the hunters were able to drop the shields of two marine heavy gunners. "Alright now the ot-" A quarian sergeant said as he turned around, only to be met with the sight of a geth prime. It grabbed the marine by his head and with a quick motion of its hands, cracked the neck of the marine. It dropped the lifeless body of the marine, and within seconds was fired upon by the rest of the marines. Unfortunately for them, the prime's shield was too strong. It grabbed the nearest quarian's arms and ripped both of them from her body.

She screamed in agony as purple liquid poured out from her shoulders. She was silenced as the prime's foot connected with her skull and in a display of pure strength stomped on the quarian sending blood and bone fragments everywhere. The marine was unrecognizable as she was completely flattened. To make matters worse, the rest of the regular platforms had soon appeared and began covering the prime.

"Prazza we need to retreat!" Reegar ordered.

Prazza did not respond. Merely shocked by the carnage the prime had unleashed. '_KEELAH! How are we going to take out that thing!?'_

"Alright. First squad, cover our retreat!" Reegar ordered. He knew as well as them that it was a suicide order, but for the good of the scientist and Admiral, they carried out their orders. As 1st squad started to suppress the geth advance, Reegar and the survivors retreated.

The cries of agony from the marines were heard as they were tore apart by the prime and its regulars. As they reached the ship, one the marines yelled in pain as they were shot. Reegar turned around to see, to his horror that not only was the geth force a dozen meters from this position, but were reinforced by a dozen more geth platforms.

"EVERYONE TAKE COVER!" Reegar ordered. Getting into cover he began firing his assault rifle when he noticed a figure in his peripheral vision and saw that it was Admiral Koris firing a grenade launcher. "Admrial? What in the hell do you think you are doing!?"

"Keeping my crew alive, sergeant!" Koris replied.

More geth platforms appeared as they poured fire into the quarian ranks, managing to kill a few riflemen. Still as they took losses, the restlessness machines continued to advanced and refused to retreat. The quarians were forced back, deeper into the canyon. One quarian marine surged forward, tossing a handful of small explosives into the geth ranks to slow them down, however the geth fired at him killing the marine before he even hit the ground.

"Bosh'tets'!" Tali swore as she dropped onto a knee avoiding a hail of bullets. She popped up and down from cover firing her shotgun at the nearest geth. She began trying to hack them, but the prime was keeping them suppressed. Something slammed into her and let out a horrible electronic wail. Tali instinctively drew up her shotgun and fired at the thing reflexively. It's stealth field dissipated and a geth hunter emerged out of thin air. It swung its forearm, hitting Tali across the chest knocking her back. Momentarily stunned, her quickly regained awareness of the situation just before the hunter managed to impale her with a knife. Rolling to her left and bringing up her weapon, she fired her shotgun and was rewarded with a wet impact that blew a mechanical limb of the platform. She finished it off with a shot to the head. Before she could celebrate, a beam of energy hit her frying her shields in seconds. Thankfully Koris and Reegar blasted the geth that was attacking her before it melted through her armor.

"Thanks. I owe you one, Reegar." Tali said as she activated her combat drone and sent it hovering towards the geth. The drone soon began firing at the geth platforms, but the rounds merely bounced off the platforms' shields.

"Don't think anything of it ma'am." He replied.

"We need to move now!" Koris yelled, seeing their losses and feeling responsible for them.

"Roger, Admiral. But right now we don't have any covering fire and those geth aren't going to let us walk away." Looking around he could see that they were severely undermanned. If only more marines had survived the initial crash then they wouldn't be in this position. The geth were aggressively pressing on their position. "Zio I need you to thin out their numbers." Reegar ordered

"On it." Zio looked down the barrel of his sniper rifle as several geth troopers advanced on the left flank and opened fire. A round pinged of the shields on the closest one, alerting the rest to his position. "We are going to need some firepower." He warned.

BOOM! Was his response. With mouth agape behind his visor, he looked down the scope to see that the four geth troopers were in reduced to scrap metal. "I take it they're no longer a problem?" Vexa asked over the comms.

Looking down the scope of his sniper rifle, he saw that the geth prime was ordering a withdrawal, using drones to keep them from advancing. "Sergeant, I think the geth are retreating."

Gasping for breath, Reegar checked the area. All around were craters from explosives, scrap metal, dismembered quarian bodies, and several used heat sinks. He raised her gun and motioned for Koris to follow him. "Admiral, I think they were just testing our defenses. Now that they know that they can easily crush us, they'll be sending a large force."

"Hmm…sure looks that way. Plant charges on the ship. We need to make sure no vital information on the migrant fleet gets to the geth."

"I thought you wanted unity." Reegar remarked.

"Living side by side, yes. However, now is not the appropriate time for information exchanges." Seeing his once proud ship, Koris was hard pressed to see the magnificent cruiser reduced to a smoldering wreck. "They'll be searching for us. Any suggestions?" Korris asked the combat-hardened marine.

Activating his omni-tool, a hologram of the planet appeared. He zoomed in on their location, and brought up outlying areas. "There appears to be an abandoned city 4 clicks from here. I suggest we head over there. We'll need the cover and right now I don't think anyone would want to sleep on the ground."

Reegar's remark caused Koris to look at the horizon and saw that the in a few hours the sun would be going down. "Very well. Salvage whatever supplies you can and be prepare to move out within the hour." Walking away he stopped himself. "Ohh…and one more thing," Activating his omni-tool, Koris tapped some commands and turned his attention to the marine before him. "Congratulations on your promotion, Captain. We'll need men like you in the future."

Taken aback, Reegar looked down at his omni-tool and saw that indeed, he was now a Captain. He saw the familiar figure of Tali' Zorah approaching him. "Ma'am,"

Sighing, Tali crossed her arms. "How many times have I told you to call me, 'Tali'?"

"I've lost count." He replied.

"So what were you talking about with the, Admiral?" She asked.

Reegar showed her his omni-tool and she gasped. "How?" she asked.

"I guess taking command of the situation looked well in his eyes. That and he probably doesn't trust Prazza any more than we do."

Tali chuckled at that. "Speaking of which, where is that bosh'tet?"

Reegar motioned with this head behind her and she turned around to see Prazza ordering the remaining marines to check their weapons, medical supplies, and gather geth parts. "I probably should go over there and make him get his hands dirty."

Tali snorted at that. "Ever since he got promoted, he's been a bigger pain in the neck than usual."

Reegar chuckled at her remark. "Well ma'am, if you were to enlist you'd probably be half way to commissioned officer by now."

She looked back at him. "By my own merit or by my father's orders?" She said with clear distaste.

Reegar cringed behind his visor. He had known Admiral Zorah had always made sure to push Tali harder than anyone else. He remembered the first day that Tali got back with a treasure trove of geth data, the man in question merely praised her as a commander would praise his soldiers, in other words no hug, no affection, no encouragement, just rigid words. "I'm sorry ma'am I didn't mean t-,"

"It's okay Reegar," She stopped him. Sighing she gazed back at the wrecked ship. "C'mon we have a long journey ahead."

Picking up his assault rifle, Reegar followed her back to the ship. On the way there he pulled Prazza aside, showed him his rank, and then ordered him to help the marines gather supplies. The squad snickered at Prazza's shock, and Reegar could practically see that Prazza was fuming underneath his visor. Once everything was salvaged, charges were set on the ship and once they destroyed any sensitive information, Koris ordered his men south to the abandoned city and hoped that reinforcements were on their way.

* * *

**Uncharted space **

**Collector Station **

The Collector General, taking advantage of his multiple limbs, was busy operating numerous command interfaces. He was typing a single command, a single order to his troops, four in particular. He pressed send and the message was delivered to four main locations, Illium, a Collector ship, Khar'shan, and to Mars where a large Cerberus military base was located.

'_Soon these primitives will know of the true strength of our masters._ _Their fear will be our weapon.' _The General thought. Soon information regarding the Reaper's existence will reach every colonized world and it will sow fear in the hearts and minds of the inhabitants of this cycle. The chaos that will ensue will greatly favor their masters and distrust sown into even the strongest of bonds will shatter any hope they may have when the harvest begins. If the General had a mouth he would have smiled at the events unfolding.

* * *

**A/N: Dun Dun Dun. Another shocker ending. What will be next? Also can anyone guess who the four receivers of the collector general's message are? I'm thinking of having a little contest, maybe the prize being a cameo appearance for the winner. If anyone has a guess or a thought on what the prize should be PM me.**


	12. Chapter 12 - Reunion II

A/N: I know legion is an it, however the ground team, and Shepard especially, refers to Legion as a he. So he, like EDI, will be referred as a he. Also i'll be adding a few more weapons. The reason for this is the weapons in ME are fun, but overly bulky. Submachines guns are more like automatic pistols and have a shorter range than actual SMGs. Also the Shotguns and pistol will see some bonuses and under barrel shotguns, grenade launchers, tazers, and much more will make an appearance

* * *

3-25-2184 0932 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Corvette **

**Haestrom **

"EDI, inform the ground team that I want to see them in the briefing room in the next 15 minutes. We have a lot to go over." Shepard had been anxious ever since Hackett had informed him on the importance of this mission. While it didn't surprise him that he was selected for this particular assignment, he was concerned about the ground team effectiveness. Having to sit on the sidelines was one thing he had never done, but under the current circumstances he didn't have much of a choice.

"Very well, captain. I have alerted the entire team and they will join you within 15 minutes. Would you like anything else?" The blue hologram by his room's door pulsed gently with the faceless avatar EDI used.

"No, thank you EDI. Just make sure Joker keeps the ship cloaked during the entire mission. Only reveal the Normandy if I order it or if it's absolutely necessary. As soon as we reach the planet, have Legion scan the surrounding space for geth patrols." Shepard stated this as he was already in the elevator, cursing its slow speed to reach the CIC of his ship.

The doors opened up the CIC, and Shepard didn't even bother speaking to Jacob, who was busy repairing and maintaining the various weapons use for ground missions. He noticed that Jacob was struggling with his arm cast and leg brace. Shepard wasn't too concern, since he had no thoughts of involving Jacob on the ground team for awhile, which he assumed Jacob though the same and decided to contribute in any way he could. Shepard made his way around the next corner into the briefing room, and was surprised to see that most of the ground team members had already arrived with the exception of Kasumi and Ramirez. As soon as he stepped into the room, all eyes were directed at him and any chatter was replaced with silence. He had to admire his team's dedication and professionalism, especially considering that a few members weren't exactly employed in the most respectable professions.

Just at that moment both Ramirez and Kasumi walked in sheepishly, they were rewarded by hollers and cheers from the rest of the team. Shepard even heard a few whistles.

"Bout time you both got laid." Jack said rather bluntly.

"Alright everyone now that everyone is here, I want to talk to all of you about this mission. Plain and simple, we rescue a quarian admiral and we have a shot at evicting the quarians from assisting the batarians and by extension the collectors." Tapping commands on the console, a hologram of Haestrom appeared. "This planet is called Haestrom and this is where, according to System's Alliance intelligence, the admiral's ship was shot down. Once we're close to the colony, EDI will scan the planet for any sign of either a wreckage site or radio transmissions from the quarians. Considering the current circumstance, the ground team this time will be a little bit different. Garrus will take Ashley and Javik ground side and Legion will be orbital inserted in advance. Him being a geth will be a major advantage for this mission."

"As you humans say, no hard feelings?" Garrus said to the armored titan sitting near him.

"Hey, I'm not really good with dealing with geth outside of shooting them. You'll be able to spot them before I can, so have fun being bogged down in geth territory, while I safely stay here." Ramirez teased.

Garrus only shook his head in response. "Let me introduce you to our new shuttle pilot, David Andrews." Shepard announced, directing everyone's attention to a man in his mid-thirties who had a beard and was wearing a red baseball cap. Having already met him prior to the mission, the attention didn't last long.

"Shepard, quarians are known to be a tad xenophobic especially towards anyone with AIs or an AI. Geth and quarian contact problematic." Mordin stated, analyzing dozen of scenarios in his head.

"I know, but we don't have much of a choice and were in deep geth territory. Besides having an extra 25 minute head start may very well prove vital." Looking around he asked, "Anymore questions?"

"This one kindly volunteers to assist in rescuing the trapped quarians." Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and their eyes were met with a fully armored hanar, equipped with six different guns.

Shepard didn't know whether to laugh or be shocked. "It's quite alright we-" before Shepard could finish, Blasto interrupted him.

"This one assures you captain, this one is more than capable of combat."

"He's right, Shepard. Once I was almost strangled by one of those bloated jellyfish. They aren't as innocent as they like everyone to believe." Zaeed said in his gruff voice.

"I can assure you, Shepard. Hanar are capable of defending themselves." Thane said, joining in on the conversation.

"Fine, but I'll want them to have a little extra firepower. Legion, the Alpha drone will be inserted with you via orbit. If you run into any trouble the extra firepower should help you. You'll be our forward scout, report any geth activity you see." He turned his focus towards his turian friend. "Garrus, you and your team will land at out designated LZ. From there you'll move out and locate the quarian survivors. Using intel gathered by Legion's reconnaissance should make it easier for you to avoid enemy patrols. Now then, get ready to deploy. Everyone else dismissed." With their orders received, the Normandy ground team filed out of the room.

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Corvette **

**Command Deck**

"Captain, we have reached Haestrom and I have detected a geth frigate in stationary orbit over the coordinates where there appears to be quarian radio transmissions. The ship is not transmitting any communication signals, but its shuttle bay is open and appears to be missing a dropship." EDI chimed in, confirming Joker's fears.

"I had a feeling it would be too much to ask for the geth not to have fired on the quarians, you know after the whole between them. So I guess sneaking in is out?" Joker coyly asked.

Shepard ignored him and instead processed the information, quickly coming up with a plan. "EDI inform Legion that as soon as that ship is destroyed he'll be inserted planet side. Shepard activated the hologram display on the table, bringing up a map of the geth frigate. He began analyzing it for any weaknesses he could find. He decided to fire his main guns and overwhelm the ships armor with his geothermal missiles. Geothermal missiles, were ordinary shaped missiles designed to melt a ship's armor, the entirety of its creation was inspired by incendiary bullets and bombs. "EDI, charge the twin particle cannons. Divert all engine power to weapons."

"As you wish, Shepard." The AI responded.

"Joker, has the geth frigate done anything since we've arrived?"

"Negative captain, it's still stationary in orbit. No comm signals sent or any more dropships have been deployed."

"Good. Can that ship communicate with anything planetside?"

"Don't think so. The star's interfering with planet side communications heavily. I doubt it can even reach something in the upper atmosphere."

"Alright, thanks Joker. As soon as I give the command, I want you to blast that frigate to hell. A volley of twin particle cannons and geothermal missiles should do the trick."

"Sounds good, captain. It'll be fun to test out the weapon systems; I still haven't had a chance to fire these babies. I'll wait for your order, and then we blow the geth frigate out of space."

Shepard paused for a few moments, debating with himself if there was anything he could still do. "Ground team, remember to switch you're weapons to disruptor ammunition if you're carrying a non-Alliance weapon, otherwise pack some extra EMP grenades. Any questions?"

"Are you sure we should be trusting the light bulb to be alone with the bucketheads?" Jack didn't have any hesitation in speaking her mind about the Normandy's own geth platform.

"Hopefully Legion won't have to contact them personally. Only scout the terrain ahead and only assist the quarians if they need it, otherwise he'll steer clear of them."

"Shepard, my team is packed up and ready to go." Garrus informed him over the comms.

With everyone in position, Shepard contacted Legion over a private channel. "Legion, it's Shepard. Are you sure you'll be comfortable killing your own kind?"

"Affirmative Shepard-Captain. Your own history has provided examples of you killing your own kind. The situation here is similar. We don't not agree with the heretics that assisted the old machines and they do not represent the majority of the geth consensus."

"Alright, Legion. As soon as Joker destroys the enemy frigate and we hover in orbit, you're free to drop."

Staring at the enemy ship in front of him from the CIC of his ship, Shepard was ready to fire. "EDI are the PACs fully charged?" he asked.

"Affirmative Shepard."

"Joker, fire." He commanded.

The forward twin particle accelerator cannons fired sending two purple beams toward the enemy ship. As soon the Normandy had fired the geth frigate attempted to maneuver, but it was too late. The twin beams rammed into the ship, disrupting its shields and severely damaging it. Soon sixty missiles poured out from the Normandy. The geth's defensive system's were able to shoot out fifty-nine missiles, but one of them impacted the starboard side. The explosion was the catalyst needed for the entire ship to be blown to smithereens.

"Captain, the geth frigate is dust! EDI is isolating radio transmissions from the planet, but the signal is weak. It might be the quarians. Joker informed. His voice came in over the shuttle's speakers at the exact same time the team felt a slight shockwave resonate through the Normandy. "We're directly over the radio signals. Maybe Garrus could get us some bigger guns."

In the shuttle, Garrus smiled at the thought of installing bigger and better guns on a ship that already have enough firepower to rival a salarian frigate. "For once, Shepard, I think Joker has finally had a good idea_._" He said over the radio.

"EDI, activate atmospheric barriers on the shuttle doors. Legion, we'll be dropping you in t-minus twenty seconds. Good luck." Shepard ordered.

Legion answered the captain with a green indicator light through the orbital drop pod that he was in. Next to him was the alpha drone that would be accompanying him. A ripple of shields activated around the pod, and then the doors slowly opened. He looked down and saw the entire planet before him; the entire planet was a dull gray and brown mix. Legion saw no lakes or oceans, almost as if they were heated and boiled.

Shepard pressed the command on his console and both pods accelerated towards the planet at mach speeds. Legion calmly stood in his pod, the friction and heat of entering Haestrom's did not bother him as he hacking into quarian comm channels. The heat and smoke from the drop faded and he, along with the alpha drone, were falling through a thin cloud layer. His optics were barely able to scan the ground below him. He zoomed in his optics and tried to make out anything of the terrain he was dropping in on. He was only able to make out a few trails of smoke coming from the ground before he felt an enormous tug at his back.

"**Drag chute deployed**." A monotone voice within the pod stated.

Within seconds he came to an abrupt halt on the surface of the planet, creating a small crater around him. The pod's doors opened and Legion stepped out and scanned the surrounding area, seeing no hostiles in sight. He could easily tell this wasn't the right place.

"**Scans Complete. Threat Assessment: Negligible. Recommendation: Follow Radio Signals.**" The alpha drone said in its deep robotic voice.

"The star's interference may slow us down. Radio signal transmission seems to be 200 meters north. This platform's programs have also detected element zero signatures, discarded heat sinks, and other geth programs. This platform is currently hiding our signal, however there are dozens of geth mobile platforms."

"**Recommendation: Target Isolated Groups.**"

Legion took a moment to evaluate his surroundings before moving. He and the drone were in a courtyard, ancient quarian buildings were all around them. Above the building lines Legion could see that was setting and decided to use the darkness to his advantage.

"We must move. This platform's programs will assist you in scanning the area." Legion reached over his shoulder and grabbed a geth spitfire. For long range he packed a M-98 widow and set both guns to disruptor ammo. Both members took off in the path in front of them, searching for any sign of the quarians, while avoiding the geth.

* * *

**543 meters from Quarian command bunker**

"Tali, get down!" Reegar screamed in her ear as he threw himself and her into the ground, not waiting for her response. A geth's rocket whizzed by overhead only a moment later, impacting the wall behind them and peppering them with small stone bucks. "Dammit, we have to take that thing out before it gets close, cover me marines."

Zio, Prazza, and Vexa all popped out of cover, spraying a prime with assault rifle rounds. This only manage to annoy it, they all hoped Reegar had a plan to deal with it.

Reegar sprinted as fast as he ever had to the mining equipment on their left, reaching it just as another rocket flew past him. He dove behind, hoping that the two geth troopers behind him wouldn't consider him a large threat. Crawling to look around the other side of his rusted cover, he was happy to see the other marines had been able to grab their attention. Anxiety filled him as he saw the geth force advance towards his team.

"Alright you geth bastard, see how you like this!" Reegar leaned over his cover and fired his rocket launcher. The blast weakened three platform's shields and the quarian marine squad took advantage. Zio and Prazza managed to kill one, while Tali hacked another. The last one was destroyed by combined fire from Vexa's missile launcher and the other platform's fire, which was promptly destroyed.

The team's spirit was enlighten as they've managed to survive another assault. However, Prazza was quick to notice something was wrong. "Where did the prime go?" He asked. The team got quiet, scanning the area for any sign of the large geth platform. Prazza quickly noticed a slight shimmer behind Reegar. "Reegar! MOVE!" He shouted.

Reegar's instincts took over and he did as he was told. Behind him an omni-tool blade sliced the air, just narrowly missing Reegar's head by a centimeter. The blade struck the concrete behind him and cleanly sliced.

Cursing to himself he switched to his assault rifle. He fired his assault rifle, but the rounds merely bounced off the platform's incredible shields. The prime, using its omni-blade, slice Reegar's weapon and punched him in the torso. The punch was so powerful that the prime's fist was able to pickup Reegar and he impacted the concrete wall behind him hard. He screamed out in pain as his ribs were broken. Still hanging in the air, Reegar's body dropped, only when the prime removed its fist from Reegar's torso. The prime brought up its omni-blade preparing for the kill, when suddenly Prazza managed to jump on the prime's back. Prazza activated his own onmi-blade and struck the prime in the neck. The momentum of the blade was so slow it allowed it to penetrate the prime's shields and pierce into its armor. The prime bucked like a bull as it struggled to get Prazza off of its back. Vexa tried aiming her rocket launcher at the prime, but hesitated as the blast would not only kill Prazza, but Reegar as well. Then she did something that was considered stupid by quarian standards, using her body as a ram she charged a the prime with full force, her shoulder hitting the prime and causing it to stagger. Struggling it managed to remain on its feet until both Tali and Zio both charged at the geth, omni-blades at the ready. The combined force of all four quarians and the multiple stabs into its critical systems was enough to cause the prime to fall back, completely dead.

"Oh, Keelah…that was insane." Zio commented, breathing in heavily.

"Get this geth off of me!" Prazza ordered. His body was being pucrushed under the weight of the prime's massive body. Both Vexa and Zio pushed the prime off of Prazza, while Tali went to go check on Reegar.

"Reegar, are you alright!?" She asked, but was only rewarded by gurgling noises as Reegar had both of his hands over his chest. Quickly Tali administered medi-gel on the wound, through the suits's compartments. "Are you alright?" She asked again.

Reegar managed to nod his head, the pain was still too much for him to talk. "Quarian command. This is quarian team 1. We've managed to repair and activate the sentries, but we have casualties. Heading to the bunker now." Prazza said over his radio.

"Roger that, team 1. Be advised team 2 is heading to your position now. ETA 18 minutes. I suggest you get your asses over here quick." The bunkers radio operative replied.

"Roger that." Prazza switched the radio and walked over to Tali. "We're leaving."

"Reegar is hurt!" She said with disdain. She hoped for his sake he wasn't going to recommend leaving Reegar behind.

"We have no choice, we have to move now. I'll carry him, but we need to head back to the bunker."

Tali relaxed a bit and nodded her head. Watching Prazza pull Reegar over his shoulders in a fireman's carry. The squad marched back towards the bunker.

The first geth that Legion found was a lone trooper, a sniper from the appearance of the trooper's weapons. Silently Legion approached the platform, while the programs within the platform began scanning the geth trooper. Based on the findings, Legion concluded that the geth was damaged and its motion tracker was destroyed. Taking advantage, Legion activated his omni-tool and lunged at the geth digging his blade into the geth's back, bringing it down quickly and quietly. The light that acted as its eye flickered and then went out, indicating he had destroyed it.

* * *

**Rien Tunnel Entrance **

Legion looked ahead and saw a tunnel. Legion drooped down from the cliff that he was standing on and began walking towards the entrance. Using a private channel, Legion communicated with the drone and both regrouped at the entrance. Scanning his surroundings for any trace of activity, Legion noticed his shields quickly flickering and dropping.

"**Scans Complete. Atmospheric Instability Detected. Recommendation: Avoid Direct Exposure To Sunlight.**"

Legion nodded and began entering the tunnel when suddenly his motion tracker lit up with multiple red contacts. He immediately began jamming all comm channels in the area.

The fist geth platform Legion saw immediately opened fire, rounds bouncing against his shields and peppering the stone pillars around. Diving behind the nearest cover, the synthetics relentlessly fired at his position, creating small clouds of dust all around him with the intense phasic rounds. Using his motion tracker, Legion located four enemy platforms moving towards him at an alarming rate.

The geth stopped firing, wanting to confirm Legion's death. Their operating systems were able to detect Legion's newer and more powerful operating systems. It would seem the heretic made a measure to find and detain Legion, however for what purpose was unknown. However when the dust settled, instead of seeing Legion's damaged platform, they instead saw the alpha drone with its optics glowing red with rage.

"**Scans Complete. Threat Assessment: Deadly. Recommendation: Total Annihilation.**" Arming its vast array of weapons, the geth troopers raised their forward flaps as if to indicate shock or fear.

The drone fired its gauss cannons on its shoulders and peppered the area with explosives using its grenade launcher. The standard platforms shields were no match for the barrage from the alpha drone, and two platforms were destroyed as the gauss rounds penetrated their armor. The other four geth staggered back as they retreated back into cover. Firing at their approaching foe, they fail to notice that Legion popped out of cover and was targeting them with a sniper rifle. A geth plafrom's shields collapsed and it felt the impact of a heavy round almost penetrating through its armor. When it scanned the area, it was too late as Legion fired another shot right into the geth's optical unit, drooping it instantly.

The last remaining three geth trooper attempted to consolidate their firepower on the drone, however it proved futile as the drone's shields refused to drop. Now at a safe distance, the drone fired its tesla cannon. The round zipped through the narrow tunnel like a bolt of lightning. The round tore through the armor of a geth platform, leaving a gaping hole where it's torso once was. Another fell prey to Legion's sniper and the last remaining platform attempted to escape, but it to was destroyed easily by the drone's missiles.

Legion approached the drone, which appeared to be scanning the area ahead of them. "**Scans Complete. Multiple Synthetic And Organic Signatures Detected. Threat Assessment: Unknown. Recommendation: Prepare For Hostile Intentions From Both Targets.**"

"Shepard- Captain's orders were to assist the creators. We must show signs of cooperation." Legion told him.

"**Recommendation: Assist Organic Signatures.**"

Legion and the drone ran towards the quarian's position. On the way there, Legion activated a beacon signaling the Normandy of his location.

Approaching the end of the tunnel, Legion heard gunfire from multiple weapons, some were pulse rifles the heretics used and the others he did not recognize. Assuming they were quarian rifles, Legion hurried to the end of the tunnel and looked out at the firefight before him. Assessing the best option Legion ordered the drone to advance, while he provided covering fire with his sniper rifle.

Confirming its orders, the drone began advancing towards the geth line, issuing threats. The quarians must've been surprised and fearful at the sight of an eleven foot mechanical monstrosity approaching their position, only to fire upon the geth. "**Enemies Of The Alliance, Prepare For Death!**" With its weapons blazing, the drone tore through three geth destroyers before his shields started to collapse.

Legion spotted a rocket trooper firing on the drone and took aim using his sniper rifle. Pulling the trigger, Legion saw the trooper fall. Now occupied on two fronts, the geth forces were easily routed and destroyed. Once they were destroyed, Legion hesitantly approached the quarian marine squad..

Unsurprisingly, when he was in range they aimed their weapons at him. "Stop. What are you and why did you fire on your own kind!" Demanded a quarian in a purple and black suit. The voice and the frame indicated a feminine figure.

"This platform's name is Legion. We are under orders to assist the creators in escaping this planet." Behind Legion, the drone began targeting the quarians, analyzing their weapons and shields strength s. This was a precaution in case the quarians decided to fire upon them.

"Ordered? By who?" she asked again.

"By Shepard-captain." He replied.

"Shepard!? Here? Keelah" She asked in awe. She looked at the geth platform with crossed arms. "I hope you realize that I won't be taking your word, even if you did help us. When I see Shepard, then I'll tell the marines to drop their wea-"

She was interrupted by the bunker doors behind her opening. They opened to reveal the presence of Admiral Koris. In a normal situation they would have saluted and addressed their commanding officer, but this situation was anything but. Koris studied the geth before him, before approaching Legion.

"Admiral, what are you doing!?"

Holding up a hand, Koris addressed his crew. "Relax. Tali. If the geth and his…friend were hostile they, they would've destroyed us by now."

"It Admrial, not a he." Tali corrected, hating referring to geth as anything more then machines.

Koris paid her no mind. He held a hand out for Legion to shake. Koris had learned that this was an ancient human custom when meeting people. "My name is Zaal' Koris. Admiral of the civilian fleet."

Legion studyed the Admrial's hand for a moment before grasping it and shaking it. Legion had already become all too familiar with the human expression while serving under Captain Shepard. "Pleasure to met you creator Koris. This platform's names is called Legion."

"T-this is…keelah do you know what this means?" Koris asked, turning around to face his men.

"That he has gone completely insane." A marine muttered under his breath to one of his friends, who chuckled. The Admiral didn't hear them, but Tali did and made a mental note to deal with them later. "No Admiral." She said.

"This confirms everything I've said about the geth. They weren't trying to eradicate us, they were simply defending themselves. Keelah this may be the first step to reclaiming our homeworld peacefully."

"Admiral Koris, you can't seriously trust this… thing!" Tali was indignant at having to see a machine, one whose kind was responsible for all their problems, suddenly be treated as a hero.

"Tali' Zorah vas Qwib Qwib, may I remind you that it was us who fired the first shots, who attempted genocide on their kind. How were they supposed to respond?"

Tali dropped her head. "I apologize admiral. It was not my place not question your intentions."

Koris seemed to soften. "It's quite alright dear." Turing to face Legion, he asked. "What can you tell us of the geth? Do they believe in peace?" Koris held his breath for a minute, awaiting Legion's answer.

"Creator Koris, the question falls under a false presumption. The geth are no longer united. The heretics believe in synthetic supremacy, while the loyalists wish to live in place with or without organics." Legion replied.

For a moment Koris was shocked at this revelation. "Well that's a start at least. Do you represent the majority of the geth consensus?"

"Yes we do creator Koris."

Their conversation abruptly ended when a marine yelled a warning. "Contacts at the tunnel!" Immediately the quarian marine squad aimed their weapons at the approaching figures. Tali immediately recognized the symbolic blue armor on one of them. "Garrus!?"

At the recognition of the turian and under the orders from the admiral, the marines relaxed their weapons. "Tali, is that you? Spirits, it's good to hear your voice." Garrus was more than happy to hear that Tali was alive and well. '_What Shepard would do to be here now.' _He thought.

"I'm glad you're here Garrus. Is Shepard with you?" She asked hopefully.

Garrus shook his head. "He had to stay on the Normandy. Got injured real bad on the last mission, but he's making a full recovery."

"Pardon the interruptions, but who are you and what are you doing here exactly and does this geth belong to you?" Koris asked.

"Garrus Vakarian with…," Garrus hesitated to mention the organization that he was currently affiliated with and instead decided to lie. "We're with the Alliance, they got your distress call and sent a rescue party. Our orders are rescue and take you to Arcturus station. And yeah the geth is with us. Thanks for not shooting him by the way." The turian answered.

"You mean it." Tali corrected again. She wasn't sure if it was her or if the galaxy had gone insane. She had fight alongside Garrus against the geth just a few months prior, didn't he understood the menace the geth represented.

Garrus merely shrugged. "It, he. It makes no difference. We call EDI a she, so it made sense to-" before he could continue, he was interrupted by Tali.

"EDI? Who is that?"

"Right…you haven't been told."

"Haven't been told what?" She asked crossing her arms.

"Well the Normandy has gotten a few upgrades. One being she's gotten a new AI installed." He answered.

Tali shook her head. "I'm I the only one, who doesn't trust those machines?" She asked no one in particular.

"Well, Joker feels the same way. Maybe both of you can bond over the subject. Who knows maybe you'll find a thing or two in common." He coyly told her.

"That's not funny." She said sternly.

At that moment Garrus receive a transmission from the Normandy. "Garrus have you found the quarians yet?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah and that's not all. We have also found Tali."

There was silence on the other end for a moment. Garrus grinned at what he imagined Shepard's face must be right now. "Garrus right now you have a contingent of geth moving your way and the shuttle can't land on your position, too much inference from the geth. You'll have to make your way back to the landing zone and…Garrus make sure to keep her safe. She's in your hands now."

"You got it Shepard. I won't fail you." He faced Tali and reading her like a book, said "That was Shepard and apparently we managed to piss of a lot of geth because we've got a lot of them heading our way. Admiral, Legion and the drone will stay with you and provide support if any get past us. Legion can detect geth signals and help you take out any that try to flank us. My team and I will engage the geth head on and clear a way for you. Once it's clear I'll radio you." Garrus seemed as a natural leader, easily recognizing a threat and devising a strategy to deal with it.

"As you wish. Keep in mind we have a few wounded, so our pace may be slower than yours." Koris stated.

Garrus nodded his head. In fact he'd be more surprised if they didn't sustain any casualties. He didn't dismiss their fight capacity, but he knew their weak-immune systems made them weak and forced them to fight ideally through orbit strikes.

"I'm coming with you." Tali stated. Knowing her stubbornness, Garrus agreed to bring her along.

* * *

**Old drilling outpost**

"Garrus, I have scanned the ruins, but I am unable to give you an accurate number on the geth in the area. However, I have detected three dropships than a full platoon. That being said, this is a geth planet, and reinforcements or patrols maybe on their way. I suggest moving carefully to engage them in small numbers." EDI may not be loved by Tali, but even she begrudgingly admitted the AI's value.

"Thanks EDI. We'll try to do that. Can you give us a layout of the area for us?" Ashley asked.

"Only partially, but I am unable to determine the best course for you to move towards. The atmospheric anomaly is interfering with my scanners. The instability of the planet's star has deteriorated the magnetosphere of Haestrom, and this will cause direct sunlight to damage your shields. I suggest moving through shadows to minimize damage."

"Thanks for the information EDI. Over and out." Ashley took point and assessed her soundings. She had a clear view of a canyon to the left of them and a few paths EDI marked. She waved her team forward, and they began to move down a large ramp overlooking the area.

"You place too much trust on machines." Javik commented, holding his pulse rifle close to his chest.

"This one agrees with the great enkindler. Oh wise one, how may this humble servant serve you?" Blasto asked. Javik was warned about the hanar species obsession with Protheans, but even he didn't think it was this bad. It was almost as bad as the asari's.

"Leave me in peace!" Javik demanded. Almost fed up with the hanar's speech and excess politeness.

"As the great one wishes." The hanar seemed to bow in response and decided to leave Javik alone for the time being, much to Javik's satisfaction.

"The sun is really messing with my shields Garrus. EDI wasn't joking. If we only had more titan armor this wouldn't be a problem." Ashley commented.

"At least we get to fight in the shade…and besides the extra weight would slow us down" Garrus's sarcasm was clear, and Tali laughed a little while Javik simply huffed. "Look up ahead, looks like an old mining camp. Let's head over there. We'll have lost of cover and maybe it'll have a map we can use to get back to the LZ."

The five of them made their way off the camp and towards the camp. They found a few destroyed geth hunters along the way. "I have a bad feeling about this." Ashley muttered under her breath

Garrus couldn't blame her. He was having the exact same feeling as they passed the entrance of the camp. From the looks of it, it appeared as if this was once a oil mining camp. Rusted rigs and drilling equipment laid around the camp, discarded and left to rot. They came upon an old uplink that seemed somewhat refurnished. "Tali, hack into that terminal and see what we can find."

"You got it, Garrus." Tali fiddled for a few moments at the controls and was pleasantly rewarded with a shock. "Ouch!" She squealed, holding her hand to ease the pain. "Stupid bosh'tet machine." However, the team was disheartened to see an object flying towards them very fast.

"Dropship, everyone get to cover!" Garrus was yelling as all five were already diving behind some stone pillars that had been left behind by the quarians. Just as they reached the pillars, half a dozen geth plafroms slammed into the ground with clouds of dust and debris flying around as the dropship whizzed by overhead . Through the clouds, they could see the ominous lights of the geths' heads come to life and looked straight at them.

Pulse rounds flew around their cover, creating their distinct laser-like sound. The first geth was foolish enough to come charging at them, only to be greeted by a Pulse rifle from a few feet away.

"Stupid primitive machine. You clearly do not know the strength of the protheans!" Javik leapy up and threw a lift grenade at another platform that had foolishly separated itself from the others. The lift grenade burst, and the geth was lifted into the air and promptly destroyed.

"Tali when I drained their shields, you hack them alright?" Garrus asked the quarian next to him.

She gave a nod and Garrus leapt up from cover and emptied an entire thermal clip into the closest geth, shattering its shields. Tali immediately hacked into the geth's subroutines and overrode its IFF. The platform immediately began firing on its own, weakening the shields of another platform, before it was destroyed.

A geth tried to flank the team, however before it could suppress them, Ashley put a sniper round through its head causing it to drop onto the ground. She immediately took aim of another platfrom and dropped it in a similar fashion. Before she got cocky, she was brought back to reality when the rough feeling of a shotgun blast hitting her shields made her stumble back. "Damn that hurts. Garrus, I can use some help over here." She looked over to her right and saw the last two geth moving to their position with rocket launchers in hand and ready to fire.

Suddenly a massive barrage of rounds shredded through the geths' shields. They were peppered with several holes as they dropped onto the ground. Ashley looked to her left and saw Blasto holding four assault rifles. "This one has told you that this one is combat efficient." The politeness in his tone was easily notable.

"Everyone okay?" Garrus called out. He received various nods and affirmatives. The team looked around and saw that the geth had been beaten…momentarily. Before they had a chance to regain their breaths, Garrus noticed with the zoom of his visor that more platforms were moving on the far end of the opening they were in. "Oh crap…more geth, coming in from the other side! We should try to hold up in that building over there!" Garrus yelled, motioning over to a two-story building a few meters ahead of them. "They'll have to cross through the sunlight to reach us and we can pick them off. Ashley I want you up on that watchtower next to the building."

"You got it, Garrus." Letting her training take over, she ran towards the watchtower sniper rifle in hand.

The team moved in pairs. Blasto and Tali ran first, Garrus and Javik providing covering fire. They shot at the geth to help draw attention away from Blasto and Tali. Javik pelted the platforms with his assault rifle, downing their shields for Garrus to pick off with his sniper. It worked with several platforms, but they seemed to be making little progress on their enemies' numbers.

Once Tali and Blasto managed to reach the building, Tali gave a signal for Javik and Garrrus to follow. Moving up the trail, the duo were forced to take cover behind some stacked crates as the all too familiar sound of a geth spitfire preparing to fire was soon heard. Like a chainsaw on wood, the geth destroyer fired its spitfire cutting through crates, walls, and stones. "Dammit, Ashley can you get a shot at that thing?" Garrus was barking orders as he unloaded a full clip blind-firing from his cover just to keep the geth from storming their position.

The sound of Ashley's sniper rifle firing Garrus's answer. Still he knew it would take far too long to drain its shields and destroy it. "As soon as it begins reloading, we'll fire everything we have. Clips, grenades, concussion shots, everything."

Javik nodded his head. As soon as the destroyer had to reload its rifle, Javik and Garrus both leapt from cover and held the triggers on their rifles, aiming at the black geth that was getting too close for comfort. They fired two concussion shots, and a grenade, but the majority of the damage was absorbed by geth regulars. They seemed to be acting as a mechanical wall, providing protection for the larger geth platform. The duo were less than thrilled to see that its shields didn't collapse and Garrus ducked back into cover as he exhausted another clip and Javik did the same as his rifle needed to cool off.

"Ashley take that thing out now!" Garrus was scrambling to load a new thermal clip, trying at least to stall the geth before it got too close or else the spitfire would turn them all to Swiss cheese.

Ashley knew what to do. she didn't hesitate for a moment, on top of the watchtower sniper rifle at the ready, she pulled the trigger sending a bullet into the geth. It shattered its shields as it continued into the head of the platform. The geth destroyer fell like a pillar towards the ground.

At the same time a rocket was fired from a geth rocket trooper's hands, the rocket sped across the air towards her. She ducked as the rocket missed her head by only a few feet, impacting a building far behind her. She didn't even have time to savor her victory, as multiple troopers came up the opposing ramp and began peppering her with pulse rounds, carving through her shields as though they didn't have full power.

Tali and Blasto took advantage of the distraction and managed to fire concentrated bursts of fire towards the geth. While Blasto suppressed them, Tali activated her combat drone and began harassing the geth.

Garrus and Javik both ran towards the building as the geth momentarily lost interest in them. Sprinting at full speed, they managed to reach the building just as the geth refocused their fire on them. Diving back into cover, Garrus and Javik managed to keep them from advancing by firing wildly into the geth line. While the others were firing at the geth with their assault rifles, Garrus took the opportunity and used them as a distraction. Peeking around his wall, he fired off two quick shots from his rifle, serving the head of one geth and punching a hole through another's chest. Both platforms dropped to the ground, cutting their numbers.

"Ashley, can you give me another distraction like the last one? I can drop a few more!" Garrus yelled into his communicator over the noise of multiple rifles, snapping his head back as a few rounds impacted the stone near his face.

"Negative Garrus, they got me pinned down. I can barely get a visual." She replied

Garrus cursed. "I think maybe we should've taken Legion with us." He said as he threw a frag towards the geth, making them scatter.

"Then the quarians would be helpless against the machines." Javik told him.

Garrus then received a message from Shepard through his communicator. "Garr…, the ar… is ….ing to… hot. Mul… th…com… re… de…ding on...our …cat…. I've…ent…drews to…ck up the… rian…am. I've…nt…oth… shut… to… u… up. ET… …ht…utes. Out." The static interference prevented Garrus from hearing anything.

"Shepard, its Garrus. Can you repeat that? We're getting radio interference." Garrus could only hope that Shepard could understand his message.

"I…aid….th….you…" Before Garrus could even begin understanding the message, the his radio went dead.

Garrus swore at the predicament that they were in. They had a geth platoon sized force and to make matters worse the long-range comms weren't working.

"What's wrong?" Tali asked.

"The long-range communicators aren't working! And I have no idea what Shepard was trying to tell me." He replied.

"Probably wanted to remind you to stay alive." Ashley chastised as she fired her sniper rifle, managing to shatter the shields of a geth at the cost of her own.

"Then we'll have to keep fighting. What are your orders turian?" Javik asked, purposefully ignoring calling him by his name and instead choosing to call him by his species name.

"Alright here is the plan. Javik and I are going to run straight at them. We'll use the crates as cover. When we draw their fire, Ashley will pick them off with her sniper rifle. Tali, I want you and Blasto to suppress them as much as possible. Everyone got it?"

The nods and the series of confirmations signaled Garrus that they got the plan. Both Garrus and Javik both readied their weapons and made sure that their shield and barrier were fully charged. Garrus turned to Tali next, checking to see if she and the hanar were ready. "Ready when you are, Garrus. Let's remind these geth what happened last time they pissed us off." Garrus smirked at the thought, remembering all those geth they had sent straight to hell during their hunt for Balak.

"Garrus raised a hand, three fingers extended as he counted down. "On my go…three…two…one…go!" Garrus and Javik sprinted forward, drawing fire from multiple geth platforms in a perfectly executed maneuver. Neither even groaned from the impact of multiple phasic rounds. The offensive caught the geth off guard and didn't have time to recover.

With the geth foolishly focusing on the duo, Tali and Blasto both leapt from their cover and began firing at the preoccupied targets. They each fired in quick succession, Tali dropping three as Blasto eclipse her with five kills. The final two platforms managed to evade them, turning to run back the way they came.

Sadly for them, they failed to remember the sniper that stood guard for any targets of opportunity. They were both quickly decorated with one large hole into their bodies as Ashley fired off two rounds.

The team celebrated. Happy with the outcome of the battle…for now. Above them the familiar sound of a Blue jay shuttle arriving was heard, however for the team that wasn't the only thing arriving. Crashing through the walls of several buildings the familiar sound and figure was heard.

"EVERYONE FALL BACK!" Garrus yelled as both he and Javik made a run for it. Appearing out of nowhere, standing at 15 feet tall was a geth Colossus.

It immediately target Garrus and Javik as it trained its pulse cannon on them. It fired, cutting a path through the ground as it lunged towards Javik and Garrus. They both rolled to their left to avoid its destructive power. Tali and Blasto both fired on the geth, which merely ignored them. It appeared as if it analyzed the battle prior and judge that Garrus and Javik were the most dangerous and thus prioritized them as targets.

"Get down!" Garrus dove towards Javik as the Colossus fired again. The canon narrowly missed them, depleting their shields as debris was thrown everywhere.

Ashley began firing at the immense geth with her sniper rifle, hoping to drop its shields. Five shots were fired off in consecutive fashion before she had to reload. Loading in another clip, she once again took aim at the geth and through the scope, her eyes widened.

The geth trained its cannon directly on her…and fired. Time seemed to slow down as her entire life seemed to unfold directly in front of her before being engulfed in a bright light.

"ASHLEY!" Garrus screamed at the top of his lungs. He was paralyzed as he was met with silence and the scene before him. Where once Ashley stood on the watch tower, was merely ash and rubble.

The Colossus target Garrus once more, but before it could fire dozen of bullets pinged off its shields. It began searching for the source of the barrage and it found it…in the air. A Blue jay shuttle appeared overhead and it fired its Tesla cannon, shattering its shields.

"Garrus, you both may want to steer clear." The familiar voice of Andrews was heard through his communicator. Both Garrus and Javik took the opportunity to put as much distance between them and the Colossus as they possibly could. Satisfied that the ground team was now outside danger close, Andrews fired four of the shuttles air to ground missiles. The combined blast was too much for the Colossus' armor and as a result was reduced to a pile of rubble.

Once the Colossus had been dealt with, Andrews landed the shuttle in the courtyard. "Hurry up and get in. We don't have all day!" He ordered them.

The team hurried into the shuttle, and once all the members were on the shuttle took off into space to rendezvous with the Normandy.

"Andrews we need to pick up-" Garrus began, before he was cut-off.

"Already picked up the quarian survivors. The whole place seems to be overrun with geth. I guess they didn't want you to leave the planet."

"Garrus, are you there?' The voice of Shepard was heard all over the speakers of the shuttle. Garrus cringed at the thought of informing him that one of their closest friends was dead. Dead…because of him.

"Yeah, Shepard I'm here." He responded.

Shepard sighed. "That's good to hear. I thought that the geth might've reached you before Andrews."

Garrus swallowed a lump in his throat. "Shepard,..we….I." No matter how much he tried, he couldn't find the strength to tell Shepard the grave news.

"Garrus, is everything alright."

"Shepard, she's dead. Ashley she's gone." He finally said as he hung his head in shame, the rest of the ground team didn't say a word, not knowing what to say.

"Garrus, I'm sorry. I'm sure you did what you could, but don't take it too hard. It wasn't your fault." Shepard tried to comfort his long-time friend.

"Not my fault?" Garrus asked his voice rising. "Shepard, she is dead because of ME! I lead them to the camp, I made the decision to leave Legion with the quarians, I ordered her up the watchtower! SHE IS DEAD BECAUSE OF ME!" He yelled into the comms, the shuttle became deathly quiet. If someone were to drop a pin, it could've been heard throughout the shuttle at that moment.

Shepard hesitated in saying anything, before deciding to leave well enough alone. "Garrus when the shuttle docks with the Normandy, I want to talk to you in my cabin. Are we clear?"

"Crystal, captain." Garrus replied, intentionally using Shepard's rank rather than his name. Suddenly a rift had been created between Garrus and the team. Only time will tell if it could ever be fixed.

The rest of the ride continued in silence. Even Javik decided to stay quiet than to mention that soldiers die all the time and that it was their purpose. To Javik, the galaxy at large should understand loss and fear or else when the Reapers arrived they would be ill-equipped.


	13. Chapter 13 - Revelations

3-25-2184 1238 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Corvette **

**Captain's cabin**

To say that this was possibly the most uncomfortable situation Shepard has ever been in would be an understatement. Garrus refused to talk about Ashley's death or anything else for that matter and instead has chosen to remain stoically silent. He wasn't the only one to take Ashley's loss hard; every member suddenly felt a piece of them had been left back on _Haestrom_, and to Shepard they weren't wrong. He personally thought of Ashley as a survivor, someone who would always survive the impossible, but as it turns out fate had other plans. But, right now he needed to make sure Garrus was stable. Finally after ten minutes of awkward silence Shepard decided to speak first.

"Garrus, what happened on Haestrom wasn't your fault. No one could've prevented it. You can't blame yourself forever." Placing a hand on Garrus's shoulder, he continued. "I know it's hard right now, but eventually the wound will heal."

Garrus remained silent for a few moments, before speaking. "Does it ever get easy?" He asked finally meeting Shepard's gaze.

Shepard sighed, before answering. "No it doesn't. Every soldier, every comrade, every friend lost under yours or someone else's command will always be painful. The trick is to stay strong for those that remain at your side and to honor those that have left it."

"I appreciate your concern for me Shepard, but I don't think I'll ever forgive myself." Garrus told him, staring at the ground.

"At least try, Garrus."

"I will. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I need to calibrate the Normandy's gun again. It helps me deal with many problems I've had over the years and distracts me for a while." He said getting up from Shepard's leather couch.

"Don't overexert yourself, Garrus. This team still needs you."

"Thanks Shepard. The feeling is mutual."

EDI's avatar suddenly appeared in the cabin. "Shepard I've received an emergency transmission from Head Admiral Hackett. I would advise you to immediately order Joker to patch him into the Normandy's vid-com."

"Thanks EDI. I will. Coming Garrus?" He asked Garrus as he headed towards the elevator.

"Sure, unless of course you intend to leave me alone in your cabin unsupervised." He answered sarcastically as he stepped into the elevator with Shepard.

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Personal Quarters **

**Miranda's Office **

Miranda walked through the door into her own personal office/quarters with her usual strut, masking all her emotions perfectly. And it was a good thing she could do that; the report she was about to give to the Illusive Man was likely to upset him. She walked forward to her personal holo-pad, raised her chin and waited for the scanners to read her and project the Illusive Man's office. She made sure to always take the necessary precautions when communicating with the Illusive Man, from encrypting the signal of the transmission to locking the door to her quarters.

A few moments later, she was looking at that familiar blue star, with her employer seated in his trademark chair, a drink in hand. As ususal.

"Miranda, I'm glad to see the operation on _Haestrom_ was a success. We don't need to lose any more members of the team before we even get to hitting the Collectors. How was action against the geth?"

Momentarily surprised at the Illusive Man's knowledge of the operation and its outcome, Miranda quickly regained her composure. She raised her arm, activating the omni-tool to project information and statistics about the geth the ground team had encountered on the planet. "It went very well, despite the tragic…loss. The quarian entourage was successfully evacuated and sustained no losses after our arrival."

The leader of Cerberus stood up from his chair, walking towards Miranda and stopping as close as he could without interrupting the holo-feed. "I'm well aware of the importance of both the quarian's meeting with the Alliance as well as maintaining our secrecy. The quarian's are known scavengers and engineers, practically the whole race is. That being said, I'm counting on you and EDI to make sure no human technology falls into their hands. If necessary, confiscate their onmi-tools and personal scanners or just confined them to a room. Whatever it takes."

Miranda nodded her head in agreement. "Absolutely, but I don't think it will be so easy. The quarians are sneaky as they are intelligent, never mind if Shepard would ever agree to confining them. I believe avoiding violent confrontation if only as a diplomatic gesture."

The mysterious man smiled at her, taking another sip of his drink. However, he was quickly interrupted by his personal assistant barging into the room. "What is it now?" he asked, slightly agitated.

The personal assistant whispered something into the Illusive Man's ear, which Miranda couldn't hear, but was interested nonetheless. After the assistant had delivered the information, he awaited the Illusive Man's orders. Judging by the grim expression on the Illusive Man's face, Miranda knew it was not good.

"Thank you. You know what needs to be done. Purge all the computers and terminals and make sure to only message those I personally touch." The Illusive Man said to his assistant. He turned his attention to Miranda. "Miranda, execute order 57."

Miranda was shocked to hear this. Order 57 called for the immediate purge of all information regarding Cerberus, contacts, bank accounts, and any other traces that might lead back to Cerberus itself. In essence it meant Cerberus would have to relocate everything and sever whatever is deemed unnecessary. She knew that once the transmission ended, Cerberus command would go dark until whatever had caused the problem was dealt with.

"Of course sir. If I may ask, for what reason?" Miranda asked.

"We have a mole." The Illusive Man relied in a deathly whisper. "Keep doing your work and form time to time I'll send you messages if there any assignments that come up." The Illusive Man walked back to his chair, switched the feed off and began purging all information stored in his computer. He then pulled out a hard drive that acted as a backup and walked out of the room with the intent of never coming back.

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**CIC**

Shepard walked in front of the vid-com and waited for Hackett to appear. Almost instantly Hackett's hologram appeared with a very grim expression. He had bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for two days. "Shepard, we have a problem."

"What type of problem?"

Sighing, Hackett activated his omni-tool and EDI's avatar appeared. She activated the screen near the vid-com and Shepard noticed it was a news feed, and displayed in big bold letters…

'_**Breaking news, Council lies exposed'**_

A human female newscaster appeared on screen just as the volume peaked. She had short cut brunette colored hair. Her eyes were deep brown and she wore a mixed blue and rid outfit.

"_Earlier this morning,_ _we've received word of the truth surrounding the prothean's fall from power, the sudden technological boom of the geth, and the sudden appearance of the Collectors, whom is apparently assisting the Batarians. For what reason remains unknown."_

Shepard leaned forward, a couple of crew member to his left turned to the screen as well. He hadn't been paying attention to the news lately, only hearing brief mentions of war updates on the Council-Batarian war. No one really talked about what would happen if the truth of the Reapers were ever exposed since it was hidden so well.

"_An unidentified source managed to acquire confidential Council records and the information was a complete shocker and incredible hard to believe. _Shepard clenched a fist, narrowing his eyes, "_The Council, since the appearance of the Protheans, have been informed of a continuous cycle of extinction at the hands of sentient AIs of unknown origins. These advanced AIs, deemed Reapers by the Protheans, have been responsible for eradicating the galaxy of intelligent life every 50,000 years. It would seem the cycle has already begun. Those 'advanced geth' dreadnoughts and ships that attacked Eden Prime and other colonies were actually Reapers, who have allied with the geth. The status of this alliance remains unknown; however it seems to be related to the sudden overthrow of the Hegemony's leaders. Former Commander Torn Iselk has seized total control of the Batarian government and has declared total war on the Council and its allying races. When asked for comment, the Council refused and has called an emergency session. Riots throughout the Citadel and Council space have broken out in response to a lack of trust and leadership on the Council's behalf. What else haven't they told us that may endanger us? Stay tuned for more updates. This is Khalisah al-Jilani, Westerlund News."_

Shepard shut the vid screen off, unable to stand it anymore. He glanced back to Hackett, who has since remained stoic through the whole ordeal.

In a shaky voice, Shepard asked, "Orders, sir?"

"I need you to go to the Citadel. I'm on my way there as is Anderson and Director Granger." Hackett announced keeping his calm stature. "Shepard I now is this a lot to take in, but beating the Collectors has become even more imperative."

"Sir, how are boys holding out?" Shepard asked, not sure if he really wanted to know the exact condition of the System Alliance's military.

"That's a broad question, Shepard, but I'll answer it best I can. Some units have joined the riot, others have gone AWOL, and others have been detained. Director Granger has had to call martial law on all Alliance controlled colonies. Thankfully the majority of our boys remain ready to answer the call. Recruitment has increased by 14%. However, other races are dealing with it their own way. There are reports of mile-long lines in nearly every turian recruitment office. It seems the turians are ready to stand against the Reapers. The raloi and salarians have ramped up military spending, though there are reports of severe civil unrest. Public response from the volus, hanar, and elcor governments has been mixed. The asari seem to be in the worst situation. Already they're receiving threats from multiple colonies to secede from the republics. In short, it's a god damn nightmare. In any event we'll talk more when you get here."

"Yes, sir." Hackett's avatar disappeared, leaving Shepard with multiple questions in his head. Exhaling a breath he didn't know he was holding, he turned his attention EDI. "EDI, have Joker change course. We're heading to the Citadel." He said as he walked off. The crewmembers that crowded around the screen returned to work, with a new profound sense of urgency.

* * *

**Citadel**

**The Wards **

"Fuck you, pigs!"

A Molotov cocktail soared overhead and Captain Bailey barely had enough time to raise his C-SEC riot shield. A pool of flame splashed across his shield and he considered using his riot shotgun to quell the massive crowd in front of him. He, along with dozens of other C-SEC officers, was responding to the looting and rioting that seemed to engulf the entire station. A C-SEC Special Response unit arrived not a moment later and fired non-lethal rounds and tear gas upon the crowd, forcing them to momentarily disband.

'_Looks like they're late to the party.' _He thought.

Bailey looked at the stores and buildings, all of which were damaged, broken into, or looted of anything of value. Whatever had happened here, the damage had been done long before he had arrived. A C-SEC outpost had been bombed by rioters, killing several inside. With the crowd dispersed, it seemed Bailey and his squad could finally take a breath. Looking around for his partner, Bailey found him by an ambulance getting patched up by a medic.

Quickly jogging over, Bailey saw the extent of the damage. Sergeant Haron, a turian C-SEC officer and Bailey's assistant and partner, had multiple cuts around his face and was receiving stitches as a result.

"Quit twitching." The medic ordered.

"I'm not twitching." Haron replied calmly, as if he was just reading a report. "Turian mandibles are just sensitive." His left hand slowly stroked his left mandible, which was receiving stitches.

"I said stop twitching or else this'll take longer." The medic ordered, slightly aggravated at not being listen to.

Haron muttered something Bailey couldn't hear. The turian's green eyes found Bailey. "Hey Cap, can you believe that a few pieces of glass managed to cut my beautiful face?"

Bailey laughed at his compatriot's humor. "You look like shit, Haron."

"You don't look too good yourself. I've seen krogans with better grooming than you."

"At least underneath my gear I'm protected. I told you to wear your helmet and now look at you."

"Yeah yeah." Haron retorted.

Sighing, Bailey took another quick glance at the still burning C-SEC outpost, "So, give me a sit-rep."

"Well…" Haron began, shoving the medic away as he ignored the pain that erupted from his mandibles as he stood. "A crowd of angry rioters managed to get their hands on a dirty bomb and threw it at the outpost and well…you can see the results." Haron, said motioning his head to the burning building. "Executor Pallin has ordered every single C-SEC officer to be ready to deploy, though I think we don't have the numbers to take on millions of rioters. The Citadel defense fleet has allocated some of their operatives to assist us and no ship is allowed entry or docking clearance without the permission of the Council. Basically the situation is FUBAR."

"You can say that again." He agreed.

Haron flexed his cut mandible as he ordered the medic to start stitching him again, then he turned to his friend. "You know, there rumors that the Council has ordered some of their Spectres to help quell the unrest."

"Pfft, I doubt Pallin would even take any help from him unless directly ordered do so." Bailey responded.

Bailey's headset beeped in his ear, indicating C-SEC control needed him. Grunting, Bailey pressed a finer against the headset, "Unit Five-One, go ahead control."

"_Unit Five-One, this is control. We need you to head to Tayseri Ward, apartment complex six. Reports of armed civilians looting and fighting armed officers. They're requesting additional help. Over."_

"Roger, control. Can you tell us with what are the civilians armed with?"

"_Reports from officers onsite have confirmed that civilians are using baseball bats, bows and arrows, axes, screwdrivers, machetes, and even the occasional personal side arm Be advised Executor Pallin has authorized the use of lethal force, only as a last resort. High powered noise machines and hose cannons seem to be working best."_

"Thanks control. We're on our way." Looking at his partner, Bailey said "Tell the men we're loading up. We're heading to Tayseri Ward."

Haron cursed silently. "Great, because I haven't already felt the love from the local residents."

It was only going to get worse from here on out and both officers knew that. Blood was going to be spilled before this was over and they were going to have to clean up the mess. Haron was confident that it was going to be one big mess.

* * *

**Tayseri Ward **

**Citadel Housing Complex**

"Citadel citizens return to your homes or you will be arrested." The sea of protesting citizens didn't seem to listen to the order. Detective Decian Chellick growled and shouted again. "Return to your homes or face the consequences."

The Chellick wasn't prepared for this, literal ocean of bodies formed around the entire complex. Every square inch of flooring was taken up by the denizens of the Citadel. In the massive crowd, he spotted a few krogan and that worried him. The fact that a many of the protestors were armed with blunt and improvised weapons worried him more.

As a detective, Chellick's job description was to investigate crimes and bring criminals to justice, however every single able bodied C-SEC personal was called into the field to quell, what is now considered an uprising.

Chellick was momentarily pleased that his words seemed to start having an effect. The massive crowd seemed to be stepping back and it looked as if they were returning to their homes. Then Chellick's blood ran cold, the crowd wasn't dispersing it was moving aside and from the crowd emerged a krogan holding a shotgun.

Chellick, along with the other hundred C-SEC officers readied their weapons and aimed at the krogan. "PUT THE WEAPON DOWN OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE!" Chellick yelled.

The krogan didn't seem to be listening, instead he turned around and started to address the crowd. "These people wish to see you cower in fear. i say let's show them we are not afraid!" The krogan yelled. He received an applause of approval and they began charging at the C-SEC blockade.

"WEAPONS FREE! OPEN FIRE!" Chellick ordered. Then all hell broke loose. High powered hoses, tear gas, and weapon fire was poured into the massive crowd, the krogan was the first to fall. The sight of hundreds being gunned down only seemed to anger and encourage the crowd, and then hostile shots were fired upon the C-SEC group. A large group of armed citizens amassed and began fighting the C-SEC officers. The sound of a sniper rifle, followed by a fellow officer falling to the ground with a grained sized hole in his armor, made the rest of the officers take cover behind the C-SEC armored vehicles.

"C-SEC control, this is unit Five-Eight! We are under heavy fire, south of deck twelve. Multiple shooters, all of mixed races. Be aware, we have an unidentified sniper requesting air support. I repeat we need air support!"

Chellick hissed a curse as another bullet punched a hole in his armor above his left shoulder. He applied medi-gel and shakily forced another heat sink into his M-15 Vindicator, before jumping up to fire towards a pair of human males with rifles. He was met with a quick rebuttal of lead, forcing him back into his deteriorating cover. The guns on the armed let out a _THUMP THUMP_ as they fired on the civilians, or at least in Chellick's mind they were. A massive nail bomb exploded on top of Chellick's head. He looked up to see the asari officer who had been manning the machine gun was dead, with various protruding nails sticking out of her flesh. As a veteran detective, Chellick was used to the sight of such carnage; however it didn't mean he enjoyed seeing it.

"Shit." Chellick placed a talon in his ear. "Control? Control! I need somebody over here," he glanced at his fellow officers who were fighting off the hordes of civilians. A few were wounded, but still fighting; a few were dead, slumped over on the floor not too far away from Chellick. "Me and my unit can't hold out forever, man!"

Suddenly, the hostile shots ceased and the sounds of footsteps retreating quickly followed. Chellick, acting like a brash brash varren jumped up and kept firing until his rifle overheated. He then switched to his pistol and screamed as he fired again and again, "Running away won't help! I'll just shoot you in your asses!"

His adrenaline prevented him from hearing the sounds of another unit approaching on armored personal carriers. Catching his breath, he turned around to see the casualties. C-SEC officers were wounded, burned, and a few had impaled knives and nails. A human male officer approached him.

"Are you detective Chellick?" the officer asked.

"Yes I am."

The officer motioned to the newly arriving officers and personal. "Captain Bailey from unit Five-One responding to your distress call."

"Thank the spirits. I only wished you'd gotten here sooner. Chellick looked upon the now barren Tayseri Ward. Barren of life, anyways. There were plenty of bodies; human, asari, turian, salarian, volus, raloi, elcor, and even a few krogan corpses littered everywhere like leaves fallen from a tree. Blood pooling and mixing in with the others. "Captain Bailey, have some of your men set up a medical tent and search the bodies on the civilians, see if there are any survivors. If their badly wounded, ease their suffering. If they can be saved bring them here."

Bailey nodded and began relaying the orders. Even though a detective couldn't normally order a captain, this situation was all, but normal.

Then came a series of updates on the C-SEC radio from various officers.

"…_multiple fires have started across the Jayatta Ward! I need Emergency Response teams down here now!"_

"…_opened fire! Repeat, several people have opened f-"_

"_Stay the hell out of Tiberius Towers! All officers make a fall back towards the Citadel Archives, we have a field HQ and Spectre teams have been deployed. I repeat Spectre teams have been deployed."_

"_Send….send an Emergency Response team d-down here…I'm hit…bleedin' real bad…"_

"_Security breach, security breach! Huerta Memorial Hospital has been taken by unknown hostile forces…"_

"_All units, the Citadel is experiencing a full revolt and is under attack. I repeat, the Citadel is under attack!"  
_

* * *

**Citadel **

**Council Chambers **

"We've made a grave mistake keeping this information hidden." Silence was all that followed Tevo's statement. The asari's blood shot eyes looked out at the arms of the Citadel. Never had the other councilors seen the woman so broken up. She was always the voice of harmony between the three councilors, even more so since the volus joined, the one who brought them both off their soap boxes when they got enthralled in the concerns for their own people. The wise asari was always looking towards the future, the big picture. Now she looked like a hollowed-out shell, her arms at tucked at her sides as she silently observed the chaos before them.

"Calm Tevos. The release of this information was always going to start a panic. The question is how we can de-escalate the situation." Said Matriarch Benezia, her soothing calm voice seemed to relieve Tevos of some of the anxiety she was having. She, along with the Hackett and Director Granger, were the only ones who weren't part of the meeting who were called into the chambers.

Valern sighed as his dark eyes gazed upon the Citadel from the Council's tower, far above the riots and killing that was going on below. The salarian could make out the pillars of smoke drifting upwards from burning buildings and explosions from hand-made car bombs, which were becoming a frequently used weapon against C-SEC forcecs.

"Military intervention is going to be necessary…" Sparatus said aloud to no one in particular as he paced back and forth, the turian ignoring whatever his asari counter-part had said. He wrung his clawed his fingers together as his eyes glanced from the vid-screens along the wall and his omni-tool, both displaying constant streams of info regarding the current, tumultuous situation sweeping the Citadel. "…It's obvious C-SEC can no longer handle this problem."

"Tevos sulked in the corner, not even willing to look up at the station's skyline anymore, "Problem? I'd say this is slightly larger than a mere problem, Councilor. I'd say it's more of a disaster. By the goddess, we have had to deploy Spectres! Spectres!"

"Regardless of the terrible circumstance we find ourselves in. I suggest closing the Citadel temporarily. At least until we've regained control." Udina suggested.

"No! Absolutely not! Such action will only embolden the batarians. No doubt they'll this that as propaganda to gather allies." Valern objected. "Besides that'll only have the effect of the citizens even becoming more desperate and how are we going to be supplies from the outside?"

"Citadel markets… would further….drop reaching….a record….low." Korlack stated. The Council sighed. The markets had taken a steep drop due to the release of the Reapers' existence. Already a few companies had completely pulled from the Citadel. Thankfully the human run Sirta Foundation had been one of them, no doubt seeing this situation as a good way to make a huge profit. It was being heavily guarded by squads of C-SEC officers and a few Spectres for good measure.

"We can still right all of this, stop this violence." Valern tried saying, hoping the other Councilors would listen to him. "Have C-SEC use S-gas, that'll do well to calm the crowd. Then we need to show the people our strength. Let them believe we can protect them." Sleeping gas, or S-gas for short, is an oneirogenic general anaesthetic that is used to put subjects into a state in which they are not conscious of what is happening around them.

"How do you propose we do that? In case you haven't notice, there is literally an uprising!" Sparatus said, a hint of desperation could be heard in his voice.

"By repelling the Treaty of Farixen." Valern said, silence quickly following. Every Councilor looked at each other, before looking back at him. No Councilor had ever suggested such extreme measure, but salarians always believed in extreme measures if it got the job done.

"Very well. We will announce our decision. Assuming the vote is unanimous." Tevos said. No one protested the decision. Clearing her puffy eyes with her hand, she then turned her attention to Hackett. "Tell us what information has Admiral Palavenus wished for us to see?" she asked. Fleet Admrial Palavenus, the supreme commander of all council forces, had chosen Hackett as his liaison to the Council in order for him to be on the frontline commanding his troops.

Hackett handed Tevos a portfolio that Palavenus had given to him. It contained plans and targets Palavenus himself had chosen. "Dubbed Operation: Talon, Palavenus has asked for the Council to supply arms to rebels on Anhur in the Eagle Nebula. As of now the entire colony is embroiled in a civil war, activists on one side and the Na'hesit, a batarian dominated faction on the other. He believes by helping the locales we can show both strength and compassion as well as have a forward base into batarian territory."

The Councilors absorbed the information. Anhur had a great deposit of platinum, its addition to the Council would mean an economic boom, precisely what the Council needed at the moment.

"We'll do one better," Tevos said. "The Raloi will liberate the colony in exchange for rights. They'll be responsible for the maintenance and the colony's compliance with Citadel law." All four Councilors agreed with the decision whole-heartily.

"Also Palavenus wants a concentrated attack on Ersbat in the Kite's Nest. By depleting the batarians of a critical ship manufacturing colony will mean a quick victory for the Council. If we take Ersbat, the batarians will only have six major ships manufacturing colonies left." Hackett finished and awaited the Council's decision.

"Very well. Tell Palavenus that we approve of is strategy."

It was now that Director Granger let his presence be known. Due to the number of groundside canons as well as the extreme freezing conditions of the planet, the Alliance has announced to activate the 1st special forces group, specifically 3rd battalion since they are most suited for that type of environment. The 1st Special Forces group contained the top three battalion in the entire Alliance army, only the best got invited to join.

"Primarch Fedorian has also approved the use of blackwatch to take action in this battle. I suggest we deploy a Spectre team to Anhur to set up channels when the raloi arrive."

"Assuming they… accept." Korlack said, reminding everyone that it was ultimately the raloi's decision to engage the batarians.

"We'll I believe now would be the time to bring them in." Tevos suggested. Just then Bland, Udina's assistant walked into the room. "I apologize greatly, however an Alliance vessel is asking for permission to dock."

"And the vessel is?" Udina asked.

"The SSV Normandy sir." Bland answered.

Udina smiled in response. "Great, now we can have talks with the Quarian delegates."

"Quite." Tevos focused on the assistant and said "Tell them they have permission to land."

"Yes ma'am." With that the assistant turned tail and ran, no doubt intimidated by the group of important political leaders.

"Well I suggest we kill two birds with one stone." Valern suggested.

"Exactly how will killing two birds help the situation, Valern?" Sparatus asked, his eyes still glued to the screen. How he craved to order C-SEC in this crisis, instead of being trapped in a room. The Councilors, instead of explaining to Sparatus the human idiom, got ready for the diplomatic talks.

A/N: Holy shit I bet you didn't expect that did you? Yeah will it sucks to be C-SEC right now. Imagine a huge riot and being ordered to go into it. Anyway due to my busy schedule if anyone is interested with assisting me with my story or wishes to be a co-author to speed updates just PM me


	14. Chapter 14 - A new deal (updated)

3-26-2184 0238 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Corvette **

**Personal Quarters **

Ramirez couldn't sleep. It was easily two or three in the morning, station time. Stumbling out of his bed, he got up and walked over to a nearby window. The dim lights in his room provided enough illumination for him to not bump into everything. He gazed at the station before them, getting bigger as they approached it. Even from space, he could see a couple of fires burning throughout the Citadel.

'_God help C-SEC.' _He thought to himself.

He saw the various ships defending the Citadel in a triangular shape formation. Battle cruisers and cruisers were placed up front to provide long-range capability, while destroyers and frigates took up positions on the sides to flank enemy ships. Behind them lied the dreadnoughts, along with supply ships, in a perfect line to unleash a deadly barrage of fire. Finally on the sides of the Citadel were the carriers, ready to unleash their fighters.

'_The perfect defense for an invasion, a poor one for an insurgency.'_ Ramirez fondled over the irony, until a small hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned around to see Kasumi standing behind him wearing nothing, but one of his shirts covering her. It reached all the way to her knees, which was a slight disappointment on his part.

"Hey. Are you alright?" She asked in a soothing voice.

He took a heavy breath. "No. No I'm not. I mean look at all this." He said waving his hand over the scene in front of them. "People are in panic and…and we've lost a good friend. I'm just tired of all of this."

Kasumi frowned and rested her head on his shoulder, while she gently rubbed it. "Yeah, but you know what?"

"What?"

"We're still alive to enjoy our time. I know it's hard losing someone you're close to, especially people who you've fought with, but eventually time heals those wounds." She said.

Ramirez smiled. Facing her, he said "It's only going to get harder." Ramirez's smile was replaced with a grim expression, "Kasumi if I die, promise me you won't obsess over ghosts."

Kasumi's had a sad smiled on her face. She nodded her head, and then said "Promise me you won't die."

Ramirez chuckled and looked into her deep brown eyes. "You got it."

Kasumi then pulled Ramirez in for a kiss. Immediately they began making out passionately, exploring each other's mouths. Finally when they each needed a breath, they pulled free of each other. Kasumi's lips curved up into a smirk. On instinct, Ramirez picked her up, which earned him a light laugh. The 5'7 Japanese petite woman looked deep into her 6'1 lover's eyes, tan skin contrasting her light pale tone.

"What do you want to do now?" He asked her.

"I can think of a few things." A hand reached up and caressed his cheek before her eyes casted themselves up and down his body, licking her lips. "Take your clothes off." She commanded, already unhooking the straps of his combat fatigues. Ramirez set her down on the bed and began assisting her. Kasumi's hands fumbled slightly with his chest armor, but he slid out of it easy enough to reveal a well toned body, neither bulking like a body builder's nor scrawny like a runner, but just right. Every Alliance soldier was physically fit, but Kasumi found herself 'humming' in approval. A faint blush crossed her cheeks as she saw Ramirez staring at her with a wide grin.

Ramirez got down onto one knee before looking up at her expectantly. She merely raised her eyebrows before raising her left foot. Ramirez nodded in affirmation before he began to kiss his way up. The feeling of his lips against her leg sent made Kasumi shiver in delight. His hands reached up and gripped her delicious rear, earning him a gasp. He pulled up the shirt she was wearing just enough to reveal her womanhood, which was glistening with arousal. He inhaled her scent and grinned before he darted his tongue out at the folds, hearing Kasumi gasp lowly. His eyes rose to land upon Kasumi's, who was merely staring down at him. He pulled away slightly, standing to slide the shirt off of her. In one swift movement, he picked her up and laid her across the bed before his lips landed upon the female's lips in a chaste kiss. She kissed back momentarily before Ramirez kissed down her jawline, onto her neck before focusing on particular spot where her pulse was. She bit her lip and spread her legs slightly, feeling the calloused hand of her bedmate running its way up and down lazily upon her thighs before rubbing her womanhood gently.

"R-Ramirez,… keep going." Kasumi praised, trying to keep the tone in her voice, only to consider throwing it out the window and jumping the bones of the male above her. She felt him leave a mark across her collarbone, which would probably show up as an ugly purple on her light pale skin, causing her to grimace slightly. However, the grimace soon melted and morphed into a look of pleasure as she bit her lip to keep from moaning out, Ramirez's tongue snaking out to trail across the flesh of her breasts, before circling her nipples. Taking the right one into his mouth first, he began to suck softly while his left hand massaged and kneaded the mound of flesh of her left breast. She felt his left hand run down her thighs and started to rub her womanhood gently once again.

"M-more." She managed to rasp out. Ramirez merely gazed up at her and nodded, tugging on her nipple with his teeth as he did. She moaned out lowly before gasping and arching her back as she felt two fingers enter her. Slowly he began to pump his digits in and out, focusing on the task at hand. Kasumi's breathing got heavier as she moaned. He pulled away, before down onto her left , sucking faster, his right hand now focusing on the now abandoned breast, massaging and pulling ever so slightly.

Ramirez pulled away after five minutes, kissing his way back down, all the while still fingering Kasumi faster. The way she squirmed and moaned underneath him led to believe he was doing something right. His lips kissed down her naval, his tongue circling her belly button before trailing downward across her waist and kissing just above her womanhood. He looked up at her, licking her clit teasingly at first, but began to suck as soon as he saw Kasumi's stern glance down at him. A fist knotting itself in his hair was his reward, tugging often. He swirled his tongue around the clit while sucking and pushing two digits into her, causing Kasumi to moan out in pleasure. Her legs quivered, her climax beginning to build up. Ramirez seemed to sense this as he removed his fingers with his tongue. Her scent invaded his sense of smell while he ate his lover out, her scent driving him to continue faster. She was different from any other female he had been with, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Kasumi bit her lip hard, looking down at her lover, watching his tongue move in a circular motion before diving into her folds, licking across her walls and around inside of her. She moaned out in pleasure, her thighs squeezing his head slightly as she whimpered out, "Ramirez, I'm-", she let out a groan as Ramirez continued to eat her out before she released her juices onto his face, who merely licked all he could. She looked down at him through half-lidded eyes to see him take off his pants and boxers. Her eyes gazed down from the toned chest and six pack abs, all the way to Ramirez's erect member. She licked her lips in appreciation, "It seems you're ell excited, aren't you?" She took delight in her lover's blush before her hand softly wrapped itself around the base, begging to tug slowly.

Staring into each other's eyes, Ramirez let out a gasp as Kasumi began to jerk him off faster, her hand sliding up and down his pole. Kasumi brought his face forward, her lips locking firmly with his. He moaned out, earning a smile from Kasumi before she slid her tongue out across his lips, demanding access. Ramirez granted it, opening his lips only for her tongue to shove its way in. Their tongues explored other's mouth, across the roof and teeth, before begging a battle for dominance. Ramirez began to thrust slowly into her hand, Kasumi having control over him. He was putty in the palm of her hand and she knew it. After making out for awhile, the two broke apart for some much needed oxygen, before Ramirez found himself lying down, with Kasumi on top of him. "Kasumi?"

"Shhh." Kasumi commanded in a whisper, her lips upon his for only a moment. She straddled his hips, before she slid down on top of him. She let out a loud moan and placed her hands on his chest as she began to slide in and out, their hips meeting with each slow thrust. Kasumi soon felt the side of her hips grabbed by Ramirez and gasp when he squeezed. After a few minutes of slow thrusting, Kasumi began to get more aggressive, thrusting faster and harder, her well-toned rear bouncing against his legs with each downward stroke. Ramirez gripped her hips and began to thrust in return, matching her pace, the two letting out various grunts and moans in pleasure. She looked down at him with a sweet loving an innocent smile and Ramirez felt his heart doing a leap in his chest. He was mesmerized by the woman on top and completely in love. He was brought out of his thoughts when she crashed her lips against his with a moan. The two kissed each other with passion after each thrust. Both of their faces were read and sweat covered their bodies as they continued their love making.

Thrusting in her hard, Ramirez felt Kasumi clench and her eyes rolled back as she arched her back. She let out a loud shriek as her hips helplessly rocked in an orgasm. He couldn't take seeing this for long, and soon he was in a world of bliss. He exploded in her, his seed spilling through the insides of her wall. Kasumi slumped down against Ramirez, who continued holder her. "That…that was amazing." Kasumi murmured, placing a short sweat kiss on his lips. "I bet you do that for all attractive woman, huh?"

He knew it was a rhetorical question, but he still answered it. Shaking his head, he said "No, only for you. I love you." His reward was Kasumi yanking his head toward her as she gave him a passionate kiss.

"I love you too and don't forget it." She rested her head on his shoulder and was about to fall asleep, when EDI's avatar appeared in the room. "Commander Ramirez, Shepard is waiting for you on the Command deck."

Ramirez groaned, while Kasumi merely laughed. "EDI, tell the 'good' captain that I'm busy. Tell him to get someone else. I'm sure I'm not needed to stand around while politicians argue."

"As you wish, commander." EDI's avatar blinked out, leaving Kasumi and Ramirez alone.

Ramirez cursed. "I swear EDI knows the worst possible time to show up." Kasumi lightly laughed, the sound of her beautiful voice caused him to smile. "Go to sleep, I'll be here." He said softly, as he gently rubbed her back in a circular motion. Kasumi, along with Ramirez, soon fell into a deep relaxing slumber.

* * *

**Command Deck **

**Air Lock **

"Shepard, I regret to inform you that XO Ramirez is occupied at the moment and is unable to meet you." EDI said, her avatar appearing near the airlock.

"Uh-huh." Shepard said, not entirely convinced of EDI's explanation. "Well I guess it's just us." He said to Liara, Kaidan, and the quarian delegation. "Shall we?" He asked them.

"Lead the way, Shepard." Kaidan answered.

"Yeah, because it's a great idea to step on a station that is in complete panic. You know Shepard, the choices you make aren't exactly healthy for your life expectancy." Joker said, leaning back on the leather chair that he had completely fell in love with.

"You're one to talk about health." Shepard shot back.

"Ouch that hurt captain." Joker called out.

The group stepped out of the airlock and they were stunned by the sight that met them. Everything was silent. Skeletons of cars lined the streets; charred bodies of civilians alike were everywhere almost randomly.

Shepard looked around; the once busy station was now reduced to a ghost town. The only sign of activity that he could see from his location were C-SEC officers roaming the streets in squads alongside some Spectres. In almost every direction, Shepard could see morgues and burning stores. The Citadel, once the heart of the galaxy, was now reduced to what looked like a militarized zone.

"By the goddess!" Liara gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Kheelah, what has been going on?" Koris asked to no one in particular. It was then that Shepard realized that neither he nor anyone else had informed Koris, or the Migrant fleet for that matter, of the existence of the Reapers. In fact it took four months before news of the Prothean race being discovered reached the Migrant Fleet, and it was mostly due to returning pilgrims. Who knows how long before news of the Reapers existence reach the Migrant Fleet.

"I guess this happens in every major war." Reegar said, providing an explanation.

"Captain Shepard." A voice called out.

Shepard turned his head to the direction and saw Captain Bailey, approaching with a squad of C-SEC officers.

"Captain Bailey." Shepard responded, shaking the man's hands. "What the hell happened here?" He asked him.

"Panic, mixed in with paranoia. I've heard things on Earth are much worse. At least here transportation can be controlled and restricted, but on Earth…I hate to be in that mess."

"Are you here to escort us to the Council?"

"Yeah. Right now they don't want to take any chances. I guess you could say they're a little a paranoid, not that I can blame them. Any way I don't want to keep them waiting any more than I have to."

Shepard nodded his head in agreement. Before they headed out, he saw an asari with a strange helm and dressed in attire that radiated importance.

"Mother!" Liara gasped out. Running towards her mother she gave her mother a massive hug. "It's good to see you." She practically cried tears of joy.

"It's good to see you too, little twig. My, my you've certainly grown into a full woman." Her mother responded, giving her daughter a hug.

Liara cleared her eyes and recomposed herself. "Shepard, Kaidan, this is my mother Matriarch Benezia. Mother these are my friends."

"It's good to meet you all." She gave a bright smile to the group, even to the C-SEC officers and the quarian delegation.

"What are you doing here?" Liara asked. "Not that I'm happy you're…but there's no reason I could think of. I mean I'm glad you're here for no rea-" She continued rambling on, before her mother comforted her and calmed her down.

"Shhh, little twig. I've been here assistance with the mess here. It's been quite stressful, but enough about me. What have you been up two?" She asked her daughter.

"Ohh? By the goddess…I've done so much. I don't think I can tell you before we have to leave to meet the Council. Not that they're more important than my own mother, but-" Before Liara could continue rambling on, Shepard stopped her.

"Liara, why don't you stay here with your mother. We can handle the Council." Shepard suggested.

"That…that's great. Thank you, Shepard." Liara said.

As the group left for the Council, Liara stayed behind with her mother and began telling her mother all the crazy adventures she has had over the numerous months.

* * *

**Citadel **

**Council Chambers**

Admiral Zaal' Koris wasn't an impatient man, by any means. The men and women under his command considered him a kind, caring Admiral who always had time for the crew. He was willing to listen to every problem, even the most mundane. It wasn't just his responsibility as an Admiral within the Migrant Fleet, but it was in his nature.

But today, his patience was running thin.

The 'generous' Council, if they could be called that, was trying to give him a water-downed deal that only benefited the Citadel races and promptly kicked the quarians to the curve…again. The deal called for reparations to the Council for the damages done to shipping routes, interfering with Citadel forces during war, and violations in copy right laws. In exchange the quarian Migrant Fleet would be waived of any repercussions for aiding an enemy of the Citadel, despite the fact that it was an act of desperation. Even as Koris tried negotiating with the Council for a mutually beneficial deal, he could tell the Council wasn't interested. Koris never thought the Council could ever disagree on anything more than they have had in the past, but it seemed he was wrong.

Tevos tried her best to get a deal out, however she was outnumbered by the four other Councilors. She suggested waiving all repercussions, in exchange for the quarian's assistance in the war. She wanted to have the quarian's unique engineering skills put to use to repair damaged ships, mostly their armor. She also wanted the quarians to mine potentially dangerous zones and give seventy-five percent to the Council, while the quarians would keep the remaining twenty-five percent. The high risk and low reward wasn't very appealing, unfortunately that was the best deal he had gotten.

Valern wanted the quarians to exchange technology for resources. No doubt he was interested in the small amount of Collector technology that the Migrant Fleet had been given by the batarians. Knowing salarians knew more than they let on, Koris was sure Valern was after Daro's research into counter-measures on the geth. He wondered if the salarian councilor knew about Admiral Gerrel arguing for all the Migrant Fleet ships to be armed. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

Sparatus was the least interested in hearing out the quarians. What little interest he did share was only in parts where he could exploit the quarian engineering potential to upgrade turian warships and arms. Slave labor for amnesty, Koris immediately threw that option out of the window, especially when Sparatus argued for a reduction in the Migrant Fleet ships or an offer of raw materials needed to construct warships. Koris immediately realized he just wanted the turians to have the biggest fleet, even if it wouldn't be the most powerful.

Udina wanted to have every inch of the Migrant Fleet searched for any signs of deception. He stated he wished to ensure the quarians were genuine in their proposal for peace and forgiveness. He easily saw through the ruse, the Alliance, or the Council itself, would send forces to search the Migrant Fleet and most likely confiscate any dangerous objects. Koris translated it to this, 'We want to send our military into you're fleet and take anything that'll give you even the slightest of advantages.' Unfortunately, Valern was also in support of that idea.

Korlack was behind the turian's corner as well as pushing his own agenda. He wanted to force the quarians into the galactic economy. In essence, make the quarians pay for any and all materials they manage to salvage, even if the materials salvaged were from independent systems. Add in the small detail that quarians wouldn't get any protection guaranteed through galactic economic law and the Migrant Fleet didn't have an economy to begin with, it was easy to see why that idea was the second-worst he had been given.

Thankfully Koris kept his calm manner and narrowly side-stepped mines the Council had intentionally placed. The Raloi ambassador, Marva was given a similar situation. The Council wanted her government to provide military support in exchange for colony rights, but not the minerals found on the planet as it would be Citadel property to 'help the war effort'. It would seem having two unsatisfied ambassadors was more than enough to hold off a diversified Council.

"Councilors, my government would be more than honored to assist your forces in the liberation of batarian space. However, you must understand our fleets lack numbers and we barely have enough to protect our own space." Marva explained.

Sparatus grunted in response. "Yes, you've made that quite clear. However, likewise we have made the concession to repel the burden of the Treaty of Farixen on not only you're race, but on all Citadel races as a whole." Repelling the Treaty of Farixen was enough to satisfy the Raloi ambassador; little did she know that the Council already agreed to this beforehand. However, little did the Council know, Marva was informed of this decision from an unspecified black ops organization hours before she was called to stand before the Council.

"And we thank the generous Council for that gesture. However, without sufficient materials and the length of time it takes to build a dreadnought, it will take time before we can assist immediately."

Sparatus smashed his fist on his podium. "Good men and women are dying and you refuse to help because of a logistic error!" He practically shouted out. Everyone could see that the idea of the turians fighting this war against two enemies angered the turian councilor. True the Alliance would assist the Hierarchy, however the fact remained, the turians were the sword and the humans were the shield.

"It would not have been a problem, had the Council informed my government of the Reapers existence. Then we could have prepared adequately for this situation." Marva replied.

Koris wondered if the Raloi ambassador had any asari blood in her veins, because she certainly spoke good enough as one.

"TH-" Before Sparatus could scream his spirits out. Tevos cut him off and made a suggestion. "There may be another solution. If you manage to successfully liberate the planet, the minerals found there will be under control of the Raloi government. However, the populace will still have to comply with galactic law."

Sparatus appeared to protest, however a quick glare cut him off. "Do the other Councilors agree with the decision?' Tevos asked. Valern and Udina agreed, though they should a lack of interest. Korlack appeared to be venting behind his exo-suit, but he reluctantly agreed as well. "Ambassador I cannot stress this enough, in order to preserve the planet's ecosystems those resources will be mined by an experienced archeological survey corporation. As such, the Armali Mining Corporation will send freighters to start mining immediately."

In her mind, Marva cursed. Even though she had gotten rights to the planet's minerals, any potential job creation had just gone to the Asari Republics. She guessed she had to take what she got. "Thank you, Councilors I'll talk with my government immediately to send our forces to help with the war effort." When she finished, she walked out. With the Raloi ambassador out of their hair, the Council turned their attention to Koris.

Koris stayed silent; listening to all the information he had been given. The quarian delegation stayed silent, watching their Admiral, waiting for his demands. The Admiral's eyes drifted towards the Council, still waiting on the podiums above him. His hands were behind his back, feet shoulder-width apart, cold white orbs looking up at all of them. "The Council appears to be enforcing their will on the Citadel. May I ask what has caused such an uprising?" Koris asked.

Quarians were experts at reading body language, and Koris knew a flash of anger when he saw it. The tightening of the human's fist, the sudden straightening of the turian's back, the eyes of the salarian glaring at him. Tevos was the only one to remain calm and hide any emotions she may be having. "That information is classified, ambassador." Tevos told him in a voice that said, 'tread carefully with your next words'.

Ambassador, Koris laughed in his head. He was nothing more than a nuisance to them. "If the Council does not hinder the Migrant Fleet's routes, actions, or activities, we are more than willing to improve upon your omni-tools, armor, and shields." Koris awaited the Council's response.

Tevos was the one to respond. "You must understand we simply cannot agree with such a vague proposal. However, if the Migrant Fleet does not disrupt Citadel activities, obey our laws, and improve our low priority technology, the Council will continue treating the quarians as we have in the past. Our governments can draft a treaty later. Do you agree?' Tevos asked him.

"On one condition." Koris replied.

"And that would be?" Tevos asked.

"That all quarian pilgrims be treated equally under Council law. Any action to be taken by a pilgrim of the Migrant Fleet should have a joint investigation by the two parties." He demanded.

The Council talked among themselves. Any investigation alongside the Migrant Fleet would mean any time a pilgrim is accused of a crime with in Citadel space, the Migrant Fleet would be allowed to arrive in that system. It would mean a logistical nightmare and numerous unhappy colonists. "That is a very large request, Ambassador. Please remember we are under crisis." Tevos was starting to lure Koris into taking the original deal she had proposed, however he had an ace up his sleeve.

"In exchange for this and the Migrant Fleet be recognized as a sovereign nation and granted equal rights as any, the Migrant Fleet will assist any Citadel Spectres operating in the Terminus systems. Of course the Council will have to pay ten-thousand credits for every operative we provided protection to and for every week they spend on the Migrant Fleet will be another ten-thousand credits or the same amount of raw materials in cost. And we also ask the Spectres to train our marines in order to properly assist them should the Fleet ever be attacked."

"Admiral are you sure this is a good idea?" Prazza asked in a whisper, not too sure he was liking this.

"If it means ensuring the benefit of the current and future generations of the quarians, then yes." Koris replied.

'_Keelah, I hope I've made the right choice.' _He thought.

That got the Council's decision. Valern and Tevos have been trying to find ways to deploy large numbers of Spectres in the Terminus, however the region proved too volatile. Operatives found themselves undersupplied, outnumbered, and outgunned. The Migrant Fleet offered not only a place to equip operatives; it could potentially serve as a mobile command structure for their operatives. At the same, should the Migrant Fleet take any suspicious action they can be investigated and kept a constant track of.

The Councilors appeared to be talking to themselves quietly. Based on their body language, Tevos and Valern were onboard with his idea, while Sparatus and Korlack were against it. Udina appeared to be thinking deeply. He murmured something to the other Councilors. Finally they faced Koris again.

"I'm sorry ambassador, but your conditions are too large for the Council to accept." Tevos started to say.

Koris slumped his shoulders, preparing for the Councilor's words of denial.

"However, some of your conditions we can agree to." Koris looked up in surprise. "If the Migrant Fleet provides assistance to our Spectres, the Council will offer adequate payment. Also anytime a quarian is accused of a crime, any evidence gathered will be forwarded to the Migrant Fleet. If you feel that they've been unfairly imprisoned, you are free to dispute the charges with the local government. In turn for amnesty for past crimes, the quarians must pay reparations of three hundred million credits or the same amount in cost in raw materials. Do you agree with the terms?"

Koris breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He had just secured a slightly brighter future for the quarian race, even if the deal wasn't a hundred percent fair or was free of bias. Koris nodded his head in agreement.

"Good then this meeting is adjourned." Tevos said as she began to leave, the other Councilors right behind her.

* * *

**Citadel **

**Presidium**

After the meeting was concluded, Shepard began walking back towards his ship, but was approached by the Alliance Director and Admiral Hackett. "Shepard, I'd like you to meet Director Granger." Hackett said.

Shepard shook the man's hands and he had a strong grip. "It's an honor, sir." Shepard said.

"I've been told your our expert in fighting Reapers, is that correct?" Granger asked him. From what Shepard could tell of the man's demeanor, he was a straight forward person. Always a yes or no kind of man, never maybe or probably.

"Yes, sir." Shepard answered, not wanting to waste the man's time with humility.

"Good, cause you'll have to be. Three days ago, we've got a signal from Omega saying that there's a plague on the loose. Normally, I wouldn't waste my time with such petty problems,"

'_I'd hate to see what you consider a major crisis.' _ Shepard thought to himself.

"However, the signal was broadcasted across half the galaxy to one of our military servers. Now I don't know about you, but so far there hasn't publicly been a QEC that has been capable of doing that. Even more interesting, the plague seems specifically targeted to humans, turians, and krogans. Call me paranoid, but last time I checked krogans have been known to survive worse tragedies thanks to their redundant systems, the turians have a strong immune system due their military lifestyles, and we humans are the most diversified species in the galaxy." Granger explained.

"And you think the release of the plague and the Reapers existence was planned." Shepard finished.

"Exactly. If the batarians get a hold on this plague or manage to perfect it, then they'll have a hell of a biological weapon. That being said, we need you to head to Omega and ensure that any information on the plague is destroyed and sent back any that you find. With luck, we'll be able to find a cure for it."

"If its target to humans, will we be given the appropriate gear?" Shepard asked, wanting to have the necessary equipment.

"Yes, we have taken the liberty of delivering the necessary gear. And since you have non-Alliance personal onboard, you'll find gear specified for them as well." Granger answered. "Once you're done with that assignment, I'll need you to rendezvous with Palavenus' fleet in the Kite's Nest. By the time you arrive they'll probably be already engaging the defending fleet."

"Thank you, sir." Shepard gave a salute, which was returned and watched as the Director left him and Hackett on the Presidium.

"Admiral, any reason why the Director has chosen me? I mean the Alliance has operatives suited for this kind of work."

Hackett sighed and looked out at the Presidium. "Shepard, when we engaged the geth six months ago we took heavy losses. Now with this war against the Collectors, we're guaranteed to lose more. We lost two dreadnoughts and had to decommission three more due to heavy damage to the ships. We've haven't even build our frigates and destroyers back to pre-war status . Shepard, we had about three thousand six hundred ships. Now we have just about over three thousand three hundred, barely more than what we've had when we made first contact. That's the equivalent of almost three entire fleets lost."

"So, Alliance Command is reluctant to lose more personal?" Shepard asked him.

"For now, yes. Shepard regardless of the circumstance, I know you'll get the job done." Hackett replied.

"I won't let you down, Admiral." Shepard gave him a salute. Hackett returned the salute and wished Shepard good luck.

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Command Deck **

Hours after the ship had been resupplied and refueled; Shepard was content that the Normandy was ready to head off.

"Joker, make way for Omega." Shepard told him.

Joker whipped around is chair with a mortified face. "Wait what!? Omega as in Omega the space station in the Terminus?" Joker asked, not sure if he had heard the Captain right.

"Yes Joker, that Omega." Shepard answered.

"Can I ask why?" Joker was clearly not happy with the next mission.

Shepard inhaled a deep breath. "I you really want to know. We have quarantine duty. Apparently there's been a plague released on Omega that's targeting humans, turians, and krogans."

"So naturally it falls on us to cure the station and expose ourselves to whatever chemicals are on that god-forsaken station?"

"Yeah." Shepard answered his pilot, who began frantically searching through the cockpit's compartments, until he found a hazmat suit and quickly began putting it on. The sight would've been comical if not for that the fact that it delayed the Normandy's takeoff.

"Ready?" Shepard asked the pilot, now covered from head to toe in an environmental and a few chemical detectors.

"Ready, captain. Inbound for Omega." Joker said as the ship entered warp space.

* * *

**Codex Update:**

_**Corvettes** -_ 20 kilotons

**Use: **Originally built as scouts and surveyors, these craft act as the submarines of space inserting spec ops team, engage in rapid strikes to disrupt enemy supplies and fleet movements, and even provide intelligence gathering. They are often found in the hangers of larger ships; typically in carriers as they act as their escort should a fleet's frigates be overwhelmed. There are currently 3 classes in service: Stalingrad, Normandy, and Agincourt.

**Length:** 55 meters - 128 meters

**Width:** 38 meters - 40 meters

**Height**: 28 meters - 25 meters

**Hull:** .6 meters Ablative armor

**Electronic counter measures:** 1 - Cloak projector

Matte black ablative stealth coating

Ablative baffles

Counter-electronic systems

Texture buffers

LAser Detection And Ranging (LADAR) sensors

**Armament**: 2 - Particle Accelerator Cannons (PAC)

6 - geothermal pods (20 geothermal missiles in each)

3 - EMP warheads

3 - Small nuclear missiles

100 - Nuclear mines

**Speed: **35 - 40 light years

**Construction time: **3 months

**Cost: **67 - 120 million credits (Citadel Currency)

_**Frigates**-_ 42 kilotons

**Use:** Frigates are usually twice as large as Corvettes. These ships are used as escorts, patrols, and advanced scouts. More damage resistant than a Corvette and faster than a Destroyer, Frigates are the ideal versatile craft. Every battle that the Alliance has fought in has always had a frigate. Though caution is advised when taking on larger ships such as cruisers as they don't have the weapons to punch through the kinetic barriers of a cruiser. Four classes are in service: Shanghai, Paris, London, and Volgograd.

**Length:** 500 meters - 550 meters

**Width:** 125 meters - 135 meters

**Height:** 152 meters - 163 meters

**Hull:** 2 meters of armor

**Kinetic barriers:** Yes

**Armament:** 2 - Heavy PACs

20 - geothermal pods, (20) missiles/pod.

6- EMP warheads

12 - 50mm Gauss point defense guns

5- 30mm twin point defensive turrets

60 mines ( 30 nuclear and 30 EMP)

**Complement: **500 - 550 Personal crew

300 - Alliance troopers

150 - Alliance marines

100 - Blue jay shuttles

**Engine:** Charon nuclear fusion reactor

**Speed: **23 light years

**Construction time: **5 to 6 months

**Cost: **500 - 504 million credits (Citadel currency)

_**Destroyers**_ \- 65 kilotons

**Use:** As their name implies, they are solely meant for one thing and one thing only…destroying enemy ships with as little effort as possible. Heavily armed, fast, and equipped with a large abundance of missiles and nuclear warheads, they are a deadly adversary. Despite only having a hangar with Blue Jays and a few scout vehicles, the destroyer high mass comes from her heavily thick armor. These ships are generally used as escorts alongside frigates or corvettes to take out enemy ships or draw their fire from carriers or frigates when they are deploying or evacuating soldiers. These ships are essentially cruisers to the Citadel. While small, a destroyer is capable of destroying cruiser class vessels and even battle cruiser class vessels, though this is rare. They are the sharks of space, attacking in packs to deal massive damage. It's low cost and high resistant make it an admiral opponent. There are only two classes: United North American States or UNFA and Russia class.

**Length:** 590 meters - 650 meters

**Width: **160 meters- 187 meters

**Height: **200 meters - 235 meters

**Hull:** 3.5 meters of armor

**Kinetic barrier:** Yes

**Armament:** 1 - Rail Gun Cannon

1 - PAC

24 - geothermal pods

7 -EMP warheads

9 - 50 mm Gauss point defense gun

5 - Nuclear missiles

Mine scanner (50 km radius)

**Complement:** 600 Personal crew

100 - Alliance Troopers

25 - Blue jay shuttles

90 - Broad sword bombers

**Engine:** Charon fusion reactor

2 - auxiliary engines

**Speed:** 16 light years

**Construction time:** 6 months

**Cost:** 800 million - 1.3 billion credits (Citadel Currency)

_**Cruiser**_ \- 75 kilotons

**Use:** These ships are generally the lead ships in small skirmishes or in detachments. They can deal a lot of punishment as well as take it. They are made to outfight anything it can't outrun and outrun anything it can't outfight. They will lead packs of destroyers into battle and promises to challenge larger opponents when assisted by destroyers. Three classes are in use: Washington, Freeman, and Shakespeare

**Length: **775 meters - 850 meters

**Width:** 485 meters - 589 meters

**Height: **650 meters - 700 meters

**Hull: **5 meters of armor

**Kinetic barrier:** Yes

**Armament:** 1- Rail Gun Cannon

2 - PAC

30 - large geothermal pods (40 missiles in each)

7 - EMP warheads

20 - 80 mm Gauss point defense guns

**Complement: **900 Personal Crew

24 - Hawk gunship fighters

1248 - O.I.T troopers

90 - Jaguars

1200 - Alliance troopers

120 - Blue Jay shuttles

**Engine:** Charon nuclear fusion reactor

3 - auxiliary engines

**Speed: **10 Light years

**Construction time: **7 - 8 months

**Cost: **12 - 14 billion credits (Council currency)

_**Battle cruisers**_\- 140 kilotons

**Use: **Despite the fact that these ships seem heavy and cumbersome, these ships, though relatively slow are quite mobile, able to evade attacks with surprising speed and are considered to be flagships of small assault or task groups during naval engagements. Much of a battle cruiser space has been dedicated to weapons and armor, with a significant space for carrying troops. These are considered the infantry of the Alliance navy. There are three classes available: The Nile, Amazon, and Yangtze

**Length:** 1 km - 1.4 km

**Width:** 550 meters - 630 meters

**Height:** 645 - 778 m

**Hull:** 5.5 meters of armor

**Shields:** Yes

**Armament:** 2 - Large Rail Gun Cannons (70 kilotons each )

30 - 80mm Gauss point defense guns

3 - EMP warheads

12 - Large geothermal pods

**Complement: **1500 Personal crew

12 - Hawk Fighters

12 - Broadsword Stealth Bombers

2400 - Alliance Troopers

700 - Blue jay shuttles

**Engine: **Charon nuclear fusion reactor

3 - auxiliary engines

**Speed: **8 light years

**Construction time: **1 year - 1 1/2 year

**Cost: **30 - 39 billion credits (Citadel currency)

_**Battleships** _\- 160 kilotons

**Use: **Unlike battle cruisers, the majority of this class of ship's size comes from its armor, not capacity to carry things. A battleship's real power lies in it's incredibly powerful shields, thick hulls, and powerful weapons. Where a destroyer is created to destroy, a battleship is created to absorb damage. The saying, 'It's built like a dinosaur' rings true as it is able to take punishment as well as dish it out. It's unique sloped armor makes it a challenging opponent. These are the largest types of ships that serve on the frontlines in a naval engagement. It is the only known ship able to battle and defeat a dreadnought class vessel. There are two classes in service: Atlantic and Pacific.

**Length:** 2 km - 2.5 km

**Width:** 609 meters - 704 meters

**Height:** 789 - 893 meters

**Hull:** 6 meters of sloped armor, equivalent to 12 meters of armor

**Shields: **Yes

**Armament: **2 - Large rail gun cannons

2 - PAC

26 - 90 mm Gauss point defense gun

90 - large geothermal pods

3 - Nuclear missiles

**Complement **2100 Personal crew

50 - ARC drones

25 - Eagle fighters

50 - O.I.T troopers

50 - Titans

1 - Corvette

**Engine:** Charon nuclear fusion reactor

3- Large auxiliary engines

**Speed: **6 light years

**Construction time: **2 years

**Cost: **80 - 100 billion credits (Council currency)

_**Carriers**_ \- 80 kilotons

**Use: **A System Alliance innovation. They are the most prized class of ships in the Alliance navy. They only have combat capabilities only slightly above cruisers, but are faster. This is due to the fact that a carrier has as much armor as a destroyer, thus is vulnerable to smaller ships. It's massive size comes not from its armor or weapons, but from its designed capacity for holding large quantities of fighter/bomber craft, It also sports numerous heavy point defense guns for protection against fighters and light orbital bombardment. There are three classes in service: Mercury, Earth, and Mars.

**Length: **3 km - 3.6 km

**Width: **700 meters - 890 meters

**Height:** 890 meters - 983 meters

**Hull: **3.5 meters of armor

**Shields: **Yes

**Armament:** 100 - 80 mm Gauss point defense guns

6 - Geothermal pods (20 each)

1 - Large Rail gun Cannon

1 - PAC

**Complement: ** 8300 Personal crew

200 - O.I.T troopers

300 - Hawk fighters

225 - Broadswords

150 - Eagle fighters/interceptors

850 - Blue jay troop carriers

150 - A.R.C drones

920 - Alliance Troopers

9 - Rhino Artillery

8 - Bush master tanks

37 - Prowler IFVs

**Engine: **Charon nuclear reactor

4 - backup engines

**Speed: **15 light years

**Construction time: **2.5 years - 3 years

**Cost: **125 billion - 140 billion credits (Council currency)

_**Super Carrier** _\- 90 kiloton

**Use: **Reaching the same size as dreadnoughts, similar to their smaller cousins, super carriers reach their size due to their incredibly large hangars carrying large numbers of troops, vehicle, and ships. It is even able to carry its own escort, therefore a seemingly defenseless carrier will spring a nasty surprise. Twice as common as dreadnoughts, super carriers serve as mobile command centers, supply ships, mobile repair stations, and even assist in relief efforts due to its large carrying capacity. There are only two classes available: Jupiter and Saturn class.

**Length: **4.5 km - 5 km

**Width: **700 meters - 789 meters

**Height:** 967 meters - 1.2 km

**Hull:** 6 meters of armor

**Shields: **Yes

**Armament: **200 - 60mm Gauss point defense guns

40 - 25mm twin turrets

6 - geothermal pods (20 each)

1 - Large rail gun cannon

2 - PAC

**Complement:** 15000 - 15500 Personal crew

220 - O.I.T troopers

300 - Hawk fighters

900 - Broadsword stealth bombers

600 - Blue jay troop carriers

600 - A.R.C drones

2000 - Alliance troopers

100 - Alliance Titans

25 - Bush master tanks

50 - Prowler IFVs

100 - Jaguars

25 - Rhino artillery

5 - Frigates

4 - Corvette

3 - Destroyers

****Engines:** **Charon nuclear reactor

2 - Extra large auxiliary engines

**Speed: **8 light years

**Construction time:** 4 years

**Cost:** 225 - 240 billion credits (Citadel currency)

_**Dreadnought**_ \- 250 kilotons

**Use: **Among the largest and most heavily armed ships ever designed by the Alliance navy. These mighty ships could take on any ships outnumbered, minus a battleship. They are the polar opposite of battleships, which rely on immense armor and endurance, dreadnoughts rely on powerful weapons and range. They serve as artillery pieces, wiping out ships before they get too close. It does not feature sloped armor that battleships wield, because dreadnoughts were never intended for knife-range naval engagements. A battleship is able to soak up twice as much damage as it is able to put out, meaning it can out last a dreadnought and even outfight it if a component Captain or Admiral utilizes it properly. It also unofficially serves as a last line of defense, similar to frigates, for carriers should an alliance fleet be overwhelm. A dreadnought would use its incredible range to slow down attackers to allow carriers to escape and if possible follow suit. They are two classes available: Defender, Sword, Shield, and Heart class

**Length:** 4.5 km - 5 km

**Width:** 786 - 867 meters

**Height: **934 meters - 1.24 km

**Hull:** 10 meters of armor

**Shields: **Yes

**Armament: **20 - 125 mm Gauss point defense gun

200 - 50mm twin turrets

32 - Large geothermal pods

2 - Large main rail gun cannons

2 - Rail gun cannons

**Complement: **12000 Personal Crew

5 - Alliance Trooper Battalions

2 - Corvettes

3 - Frigates

2 - Marine platoons

**Engine: ** Charon nuclear fusion reactor

5 - Auxiliary engines

**Speed:** 4 light years

**Construction time**: 4.5 years - 5 years

**Cost:** 500 billion credits

* * *

Alliance ship numbers : 3345

Alliance fleets : 14

826 - Corvettes

681 - Frigates

669 - Destroyers

533 - Cruisers

213 - Battle Cruisers

176 - Battleships

195 - Carriers

49 - Super Carriers

13 - Dreadnoughts

* * *

1st Fleet: 3 dreadnoughts, 2 super carriers, 10 carriers, 25 battleships, 40 battle cruisers, 24 cruisers, 43 destroyers, 40 frigates, 41 corvettes

2nd Fleet: 5 super carriers, 40 carriers, 16 battleships, 21 battle cruisers, 35 cruisers, 50 destroyers, 50 frigates, 60 corvettes

3rd Fleet: 1 dreadnought, 4 super carriers, 10 carriers, 10 battleships, 20 battle cruisers, 30 cruisers, 56 destroyers, 40 frigates, 69 corvettes

4th Fleet: 2 dreadnoughts, 2 super carriers, 12 carriers, 10 battleships, 16 battle cruisers, 29 cruisers, 48 destroyers, 44 frigates, 20 corvettes

5th Fleet: 1 dreadnought, 1 super carrier, 2 carriers, 10 battle ships, 8 battle cruisers, 25 cruisers, 57 destroyers, 60 frigates, 35 corvettes

6th Fleet: 7 super carries, 37 carriers, 6 battleships, 6 battle cruisers, 25 cruisers, 48 destroyers, 40 frigates, 110 corvettes

7th Fleet: 1 dreadnought, 3 super carriers, 3 carriers, 9 battle ships, 12 battle cruisers, 17 cruisers, 24 destroyers, 60 frigates, 49 corvettes

8th Fleet: 2 super carriers, 11 carriers, 10 battleships, 24 battle cruisers, 41 cruisers, 68 destroyers, 47 frigates, 52 corvettes

9th Fleet: 1 dreadnought, 3 super carriers, 8 carriers, 8 battleships, 8 battle cruisers, 54 cruisers, 25 destroyers, 42 frigates, 46 corvettes

10th Fleet: 5 super carriers , 22 carriers, 10 battleships, 9 battle cruisers, 68 cruisers, 45 destroyers, 64 frigates, 56 corvettes

11th Fleet: 5 super carriers, 35 carriers, 9 battleships 4 battle cruisers, 68 cruisers, 79 destroyers, 43 frigates, 102 corvettes

12th Fleet: 2 dreadnoughts, 4 super carriers, 3 carriers, 20 battle ships, 17 battle cruisers, 26 cruisers, 26 destroyers, 44 frigates

13th Fleet: 1 dreadnought, 3 super carriers, 3 carriers, 18 battleships, 42 cruisers, 40 destroyers, 56 frigates, 90 corvettes

14th Fleet: 1 dreadnought, 2 super carriers, 9 carriers, 15 battleships, 20 battle cruisers, 38 cruisers, 50 destroyers, 51 frigates, 96 corvettes


	15. Chapter 15 - Recovery

3-28-2184 1164 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Corvette **

**Recreation Center**

A wave rolled beneath, and Shepard let it carry him round in a semi-circle, smooth as a duck, his eyes closed, and ears muffled to all but the gently churning water and the whoops and laughter beyond. With another four days before the Normandy would reach Omega, Shepard decided to let the crew experience some downtime to unwind. He tried convincing Joker to join the rest of the crew, but all he got from the pilot was, 'It's always when you least expect trouble that it hits you.' It seemed the uncanny pilot was rather paranoid about the upcoming mission; in fact Joker hadn't stepped out of the hazmat suit for four whole days. Even Miranda, who seemed on edge the past few days, had taken this time to relax for awhile.

'_Well he doesn't know what he is missing.' _Shepard thought as he relaxed to the cool waters of the ship's onboard pool with nothing more than swim shorts on. What use was having a giant indoor pool on the ship if a man didn't occasionally just lie back in it and float his troubles away? After all, they'd had enough troubles lately.

Eventually he thought of joining Jacob, who was running laps, seeing as he had invited him and all. His injuries, like Shepard's, were mostly healed and he wasted no time getting his body into shape. Shepard spotted Javik and Zaeed off to an area discussing weapons and tactics. Thane and Samara were busy meditating in a corner, while Jack was lying on a reclining chair. Between the chaos and Kasumi's and Ramirez's competitive swims across the pool, Shepard could almost close his eyes and imagine himself at the beach, drifting gently with the tide.

"You alright out there, Shepard? Don't remember you waiting an hour after eating to hit the water," Garrus called from the edge of the pool, his feet still paddling idly against the wall as he cracked open a bottle of dextro-wine from the cooler. He had an arm over Nyreen's shoulders, who had her head resting on his shoulders.

"Don't think I can get any better." Shepard answered, as he let his body be rocked by the pool's waves. He thought about having a drink himself, but that would require getting up and getting around Grunt, the only one who hadn't drummed up any enthusiasm for hanging out at the pool. He had refused to dip in more than a couple of toes and had remained close to the cooler and laid casually on a chair, ryncol in hand. Mordin and Tali had been slow to convince, but both of them had entered the water gamely enough, if with varying degrees of skill. Mordin, while seemingly an amphibian, had decided to take samples of the pool's water and began looking for any traces of foreign substances rather than swim around. Tali on the other hand, had some minor trouble, having never before stepped inside a pool, but quickly learned to manage a few strokes. She had to strip all straps and cloth that outlined her suit as well as any electric devices. The result was a very feminine quarian in a tight-skinned suit, which generously traced her curves, swimming around. The sight was more than pleasing to Shepard as she had her back to him as she talked with Liara. Blasto was the only one who seemed to be at home in the water. He swam at lighting fast speeds back and forth across the length of the pool, showing his species aquatic nature.

Shepard cracked open an eye and spotted an abandoned foam "sword", which Kasumi and Ramirez were using to whack each other. "I'm glad almost everybody could come on down; I for one really needed some pool time." He leaned back with his arms stretched over the neon blue noodle as if to encompass everything in the oversized room, head flopping back to face the far-off view of the sky.

'_Might as well enjoy an atmosphere while I have one, and there is nothing wrong with floating in the water underneath a cloud of stars.' _Shepard thought. He snuck a glance towards Tali, who was busy stretching her thighs, and smiled. '_Nope, nothing wrong at all.'_

"I'll admit, I never pegged you for one to enjoy some peace and quiet." Kaidan said, as he rose from the depths like a stealth shark, creating just enough turbulence to knock Shepard from his laze before shaking out his beard. Though the brown-haired Canadian wasn't really built like a swimmer, he took so well to the water Shepard was tempted to look for gills. "Those standing in the pool ought to make way for the swimmers unless they want to get pulled under," The biotic continued, splashing Shepard with water.

"That's easier said than done." Shepard countered, wiping water out of his eyes as he reclaimed his positioned. "Aren't you supposed to make some sort of warning song that speeds up as you get closer?"

"You wouldn't need one if you kept your eyes peeled." Kaidan told him as he disappeared under the water.

"Dun-dun, dun-dun, dun dun dundundun…" Shepard watched as the trail of bubbles veered off towards Liara. The young asari screamed rather than cursed as she was dragged down below the water's surface. She didn't stay underwater for long as Kaidan hoisted her up into the air on his shoulders.

"Careful Kaidan!" Liara shrieked as she found her herself dodging Kasumi's foam swords.

Seeing Liara on top of Kaidan gave Kasumi an idea. She vaulted onto Ramirez's shoulders with the unrestrained power of a trusting gymnast-it went beyond expectation; she knew he'd catch her in place and push ahead. "Liara do you know how to play chicken?" She asked. Liara shook her head, causing Kasumi to smile. "Then you better learn quickly." Ramirez chuckled before speeding in.

"Well, I'm not gonna just let them have all the fun." Shepard declared, swimming towards Tali. "Whaddya say, Tali?" Shepard called out to his own preferred partner. "Want to show them what the best really looks like?"

Tali paused in her stead paces in the pool. "Seriously? Shepard I don't have much experience in this." She protested.

"C'mon Tali. I promise I won't drop you. Plus you'd be knocking them off the top." Shepard persisted. When Tali raised her head, she couldn't quite hide an amused glint in her eyes even behind a mask.

"All right." She said, giving in. Their eyes met and their smiles lingered a little longer than necessary before Shepard boosted her up, her hands circling around firm calves as he waded into the fray just after Kaidan.

"Hey Garrus, How about you and Nyreen join us?" Shepard called out.

"You obviously haven't seen turians swim. It's a lot of failing and splashing interrupted by occasional bouts of drowning. " Garrus called out. "I'll just stay here nice and comfortable. Besides the view's better from over here."

Shepard didn't need Tai's nudge to charge towards Ramirez. However, out of the corner of his eyes he caught Kaidan and Liara coming at him from the left. His original match forgotten, Shepard turned his wrath to Kaidan instead. Kaidan tried dodging Shepard's attacks and hold him off with a stiff-arm to Shepard's ribs while trying to hold his passenger by one leg, but it was a losing fight even before Liara launched several biotic attacks directly at Tali.

"Hey, that's no fair!" Tali complained, ducking her head. Even when she was thrown off balance by Liara's biotic attacks, both her strong thighs and Shepard managed to hold her upright. Shepard got in close, allowing Tali to go on the offensive.

The biotic duo managed to avoid the majority of Shepard's and Tali's attacks, though Kaidan had briefly threatened to go down himself under Tali's onslaught. Even atop of Shepard, Tali was still able to use her powerful legs, meaning Kaidan ended up taking most of her hits that were meant for Liara.

"Don't drown them, Tali." Shepard joked. "We don't have anywhere to hide any of the bodies." Tali leaned into the back of his head, enjoying her perch as Garrus and Nyreen fished the fallen challengers out

"Oh, there won't be pieces big enough to hide." Kaidan muttered as he pulled Liara off of his shoulders.

"Two down, two to go." Shepard said as he turned to meet Ramirez. Shepard pressed forward, intent on closing the distance. As they met, their partner s locked arms and immediately began trying to throw each other off-balance. Kasumi was able to use her flexibility to shrug off Tali's attacks, but the quarian's hips and thighs meant she had greater stability. Finally to end the stall-mate, Shepard took a gamble and using one of his arms managed to sweep one of Ramirez's legs. The gamble paid off as Ramirez lost his balance and with a shove from Tali, Ramirez and Kasumi fell down. Their impact causing a huge splash of water.

"Keelah we won? We won!" Tali cheered.

"No fair you cheated." Kasumi complained, with mock aggression.

"All is fair in love in war." Shepard countered. Earning a few laughs from the rest of the crew.

"Hey, Shepard. Best two out of three." Ramirez called out. "Kaidan, you and Liara are you guys in?"

"You bet." Kaidan answered. Shepard also accepted the challenge.

Despite the recent grim encounters, the team still managed to find a way to enjoy each other's company like a family. Because that's what they were, a family. With that thought in mind, Shepard smiled as he slowly charged to lock horns with Kaidan and Ramirez.

* * *

**CS Pluto **

**Super Carrier**

**Command Deck**

The lit rectangular shaped command deck of the superior carrier showed the presence an array of terminals, computer screens, and consoles. The extremely strong glass, that spread out to all three sides of the command deck, allowed the three pilots navigating the ship to have sufficient visibility. Technicians and navigators, which were lined up to both sides of the deck, were at work below the large oval platform that comprised of several screens and the galaxy map. Below the platform a walkway cut in the middle to the pilot and back to where it joined with two circular steps that were placed on the sides of the platform leading up.

"Analyzing data, compiling results**. **Results conclusive. The Alliance can be expected to last thirty to sixty years against the Reapers." Jana, the ships' AI, said as she processed the information and data she was given. "A unified galaxy can be expected to last a century maximum."

Despite the grave news, the Cerberus technicians and analysts continued to work. Nothing affected their performance, which was why they are amongst the most trusted by the Illusive Man.

"That's not good enough!" The Illusive Man exclaimed angrily, slamming a fist on the console. It was rectangular in shape, which had the galaxy map serve as the screen, though if needed it could be projected into a 3-D hologram. "Rerun the scenarios again."

As tensions continued to mount between the Hegemony and the Council, the Illusive Man ordered the creation of a simulation for computing the eventual results of a theoretical war between the Reapers and the rest of the galaxy. It was one of a few, highly classified, highly guarded secrets of Cerberus. Only the Illusive Man's inner circle knew of its existence. Code-named 'Projection', the simulation was periodically updated by Jana to incorporate the most current strategic data available. The most recent updates to the simulation have included the war with the Collectors, the Citadel races' military build-up, and the, now known, existence of the Reapers. The simulation ran several scenarios, strategies, and trails after each update, and from the data collected Cerberus analysts have been able to put together the best and worst scenarios, neither of which pleased the leader of Cerberus.

"I don't think hitting the computer, will change anything." Oleg said in a Russian accent, as he walked into the bridge of the ship.

The Illusive Man snorted in response, something that was unusual from his usual charismatic self. "I don't know how you can be optimistic in a time like this." It was true that the Illusive Man and Oleg were polar opposites of each other. While the Illusive Man was methodical, cold, and valued results above all else, Oleg was friendly, had a warm personality, and believed loyalty was necessary to succeed.

"I simply believe that with the right strategies and attitude one can overcome situations others may deem impossible. Take us for example. One of us was a corporal in the military during first contact, while the other was a humble miner. Now look at where we are, head of an organization preparing man-kind to face the greatest threat to the galaxy as we know it."

The Illusive Man contemplated his friend's words and found some truth in them. They were strong, but not as powerful or big as the other council races. Humanity seemed to be highly versatile socially. They had an impressive fleet, a superb intelligence agency, and extraordinary diplomats. Instead of specializing in one skill, humanity instead used all three. The turians were gracious trading partners, and by extension so where the volus. The salarians and humanity shared their common recklessness and skepticism of the asari. Human and asari relations were mixed. On the one hand they both shared similar values, on the other humanity didn't need the asari to survive unlike the other races. As a result contact often resulted in a careful game of chess between both sides. Yet even with their ability to stand and survive on their own, humanity was still young.

"Still, it may not be enough. Let's just hope our Prothean scientists can crack the vault. All information we managed to acquire indicates there is a way to stop the Reapers." The vault was code-name for the Prothean beacon found on Luna that was currently residing in Antarctica. Unbeknownst to the Alliance, the Illusive Man managed to sneak in a large cell of operatives. Even with the assistance of Prothean scientists, it was still very difficult to decipher the information. The security systems were self-adaptable, showing evidence that the brightest of minds of the Prothean Empire were responsible for the data stored there. Using technology long thought to be lost; the remaining Protheans took the challenge with zeal hoping to unlock the secrets of their ancestors.

'_If only the Protheans found on Eden were true scientists, not soldiers.' _The Illusive Man thought. To be fair if worst comes to pass; they'll need soldiers more than scientists, but the Illusive Man hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"If anything can help us it will most definitely be the information stored in the archives. The echoes of Luna should give us our answer, but only if we can obtain the information stored in the archives. "

"Enough of that. Right now we need to focus on more immediate threats. Have you heard of the plague raging on Omega?" The Illusive Man asked

"Da and no doubt the Reaper's servants are behind it." Oleg answered, hearing all about the biological weapon.

"That much is certain; however there have been no reports of ships matching any known Collector signature operating in the area."

"Then perhaps they didn't handle distribution of the disease personally."

"If that's the case then only one person can have the resources, will, and possibly a motive to assist the Reapers-" The Illusive Man said, beginning to unravel a dark mystery.

"The Shadow Broker." Oleg finished.

"Precisely."

"Well we don't know where he is precisely, but perhaps there might be another way to track him down."

"Through the Broker's cells. And if the Shadow Broker is helping the Collectors-," The Illusive Man began.

"Then that means he'll know who the mole inside Cerberus is!" Oleg finished. The Illusive Man and Oleg both shared a smile as they now had a lead on tracking the mole that had caused them so much trouble.

Several bases and outposts in the Terminus and in batarian space have gone dark, some for good. What information could've been deleted had been, while the enemy had managed to seize the rest. The compromise had cost Cerberus valuable intel, money, contacts, and has delayed several projects, some of which were crucial.

"Jana, calculate known Shadow Broker cells." The Illusive Man ordered. "Oleg, what makes you so certain that the Shadow Broker is a male?" He asked the Admiral.

"A female would operate with more professionalism, be more methodical. From what I have observed this Shadow Broker is aggressive, bold. I can be wrong, but I believe this new Shadow Broker simply killed the last one or was handed down the title." Oleg explained.

"The most likely suspect would be an asari, given their large lifespan an asari can spend a lifetime establishing contacts. Or a salarian perhaps. Even with genetic augmentations, they still have a short life span of sixty years, but they have immense experience in the environment the Shadow Broker thrives in. It may even be a volus. What is clear is that it can't be a newly found race so that eliminates us and the raloi." The Illusive Man reasoned.

"If we do find him…or her then we'll have our answers."

"Data tracking complete. Showing positions of known Shadow Broker cells." Jana announced. Three dots appeared on the galaxy map. One was in the Citadel, the Illusive Man immediately red-flagged that lead. Barla Von may be a top agent of the Broker, but on a highly secure station secrets tended to become public knowledge. Another dot showed a cell was located deep in Hegemony territory; with their current crisis Cerberus didn't have the resources for such a high-risk op. The last dot caught the Illusive Man's eyes. It blinked over the location of a border batarian colony.

"Anhur. So the Shadow Broker has a fight in the civil war." The Illusive Man stared at the dot. "That means so do we."

"Won't the raloi navy begin offensive action against the colony soon?" Oleg asked.

"No, first they're sending Shadow Hunter teams to link with the rebels. I believe we should assist in the matter." Due to the bugs within the Council Chambers, the Illusive Man was able to learn of the Council's plans against the batarians. Now it would seem he has his own.

Sensing what the Illusive Man was thinking, Oleg tried to dissuade him. "If you think a lone assassin is going to make a difference, then you'll be in for a rude-awakening."

"Then what do you propose?" The Illusive Man asked, frowning. Normally he would have severely punished an operative who questioned his orders, but Oleg was a unique ally, one who had opinions of his own as well as an old friend.

"The raloi Shadow Hunters will provide a nice diversion when attacking the slavers and we can use the chaos as cover to capture the Broker's cell. If you intend to send in your personal assassin, then I'll send in my personal infiltrator. One man alone won't be enough to succeed."

Seeing Oleg wouldn't budge on the issue, the Illusive Man gave in. "Fine I'll go contact them. Hopefully they can put their differences aside." The Illusive Man left, heading towards the ship's QEC. Soon the colony would have to contend with Kai Leng, a feared and dangerous assassin and Randall Enzo, a respected and experienced Cerberus operator.

"War simulation complete." Jana announced. Oleg noticed the war simulation that the Illusive Man ordered, were finished. He glanced at the scenarios and realized why the Illusive Man was frustrated.

**WAR SIMULATION RESULTS **

**Best Outcome:**

_Reapers open hostilities with a massive first strike against batarian space. Such attacks include, but are not limited to, major trade stations, shipyards, and fleet garrisons using shock and awe to overwhelm the under-prepared defenders. Alliance and Union sensors successfully gather intelligence on the assault, allowing Citadel forces time to set up ambushes, raids, and defensive lines. First wave of Reapers is successfully repelled, with the second and third wave often suffering over fifty percent casualties. The salarian STG scavenged the wrecked hulks of the destroyed warships of both sides, some are stripped for scrape, but others, primarily Reaper capital ships that were lost to electronic attacks, are taken to salarian ship yards to be repaired, refurbished and forcibly converted. The Alliance follows, however using the wreckage to repair or augment their ships rather than convert._

_In order to slow the Reapers advance, the Alpha relay is destroyed, killing over 300,000 colonists on the world of Aratoht. The Council permits the use of all relays and the use of WMDs in space. Arcturus station is retrofitted as a major naval base for Citadel navies and is heavily defended. Citadel navies, minus the Alliance, use the nexus of relays to conduct offensives into batarian space._

_After three months of fighting the entirety of batarian space is lost. The Citadel experiences a massive surge in refuges from batarian space. Caught in the cross- fire between the Citadel races and the Reapers, millions of refugees die as a result. The survivors are immediately put to work by the Council or face conscription. The Reaper lock down most relays linked to batarian space. Prothean forces, aided by salarian and asari scientists, discover how to activate and disable relays making the Reapers advantage void. _

_Human, volus, and raloi forces move to seize control of all relays linked to batarian space. Turian, salarian, and asari forces secure all relays linked to the Terminus systems. Military spending and drafting reaches a record high, far surpassing that seen during the Rachni wars or the Krogan rebellions._

_A massive Reaper fleet launches an attack in the Skyllian Verge seeking to smash through Citadels lines. Alliance and Confederate fleets, aided with the numerous defensive cannons dubbed the 'Turtle's shell', pull off a stunning victory. Alliance corvettes, awaiting the arrival of the Reaper, positioned remote detonation nuclear mines and relocated to a safe position. Faced with an overwhelming defensive line and the over use of nuclear missiles, Reaper forces are routed, suffering heavy losses consisting of 208 capital ships and 507. However, the Alliance loses 3 dreadnoughts, 12 battleships, and 40 battlecruisers. Hierarchy fleets suffer 9 dreadnoughts destroyed, 20 battle cruisers, and 102 cruisers, with another 50 damaged. Of the 120 orbital ion cannons, only 63 remain combat-capable. The Alliance 2__nd__ carrier fleet is deployed to the area to reinforce. The war effort experiences a spike in morale and in assistance. All citizens of Citadel space contribute in any way they can to the war effort._

_Fearing numbers will overwhelm them; Citadel forces look to gather unusual allies. The Migrant fleet, fearing that the Reapers will target them first seeks protection in Citadel space in exchange for quarian assistance in the war effort. Quarian fleets conduct raids into Reaper lines, slowing their advance. _

_Despite massive protests and the threats of withdrawal from the Salarian Union, the Council votes 3:2 to cure the genophage in exchange for Krogan assistance. In an act of good will, allied forces cure the genophage, despite interference from the STG. Realizing they now have a future to fight for, Krogan clans unite under the banner of clan Urdnot. _

_Secret negotiations are established between the geth and the Alliance. Gaining insight that artificial intelligences no longer have to fear organics, the true geth ally with Citadel forces while the heretic geth continue of fight under the Reaper's influence. Their fleets are sent towards outer Council space, where defensive lines are collapsing. They arrive just in time to relieve the beleaguered defenders. Quarian officials are outrage at what they see as a slap to the face. Fearing withdrawal from the quarians, the Council votes 4:1 to reclaim Rannoch if the opportunity presents itself. This appeases the quarians. _

_Spectres, supported by the STG, asari Huntresses, and Cerberus launch an offensive into the Terminus systems. Several colonies and Omega are secured and reinforced, however many more fall to the Reapers, which begin harvesting. Aria gains control of the Red hand, Blue Suns, Eclipse, and Blood pack mercenaries within the Terminus systems. _

_The Unified Omega Raiding fleet, numbering at over four hundred ships of varying classes, and Cerberus fleets are deployed to the most troubled Reaper fronts to help turn the tide. Citadel forces are forced to sacrifice several minor targets due to a lack of numbers._

_In an effort to gain entire control of the Terminus systems, Reaper forces launch the largest offensive ever seen by Citadel forces, attacking several systems at once, most notably Omega using the nearby Omega-2 relay. Facing over a 1000 Reaper capital ships, escorted by about 10000 destroyers, Citadel forces withdraw. 20 salarian destroyers and 9 asari cruisers are sacrificed to cover the withdrawal and are wiped out. _

_Citadel forces begin a campaign of sabotage, enlisting mercenary groups to assist. Citadel raiding fleets begin hit and run strikes against soft targets throughout Reaper controlled territory. Refusal to be caught in large engagements keeps Citadel casualties to a minimum. Despite valiant attempts by numerous defenders, Reaper forces slowly push towards Outer Council space._

_In 2189 the war reaches into the fifth year and the Reapers managed to secure both the Terminus systems and batarian space. Intel suggests, the Reapers maybe constructing more ships._

_Reaper forces break through Citadel lines and begin their assault on Illium. Due to paranoia from Illium leaders, Reaper forces meet a surprising amount of resistance. The planet's large defensive fleet and high number of fission weapons, which were use on Reaper transports, managed to slow the Reapers advance buying time for Citadel forces. Ground invasion of Illium goes in favor of its defenders, but is meaningless due to Reaper orbital supremacy._

_Reaper fleets begin a pincer attack, striking from asari and elcor space simultaneously. Citadel forces are prepared and both invasions bog down almost immediately. Orbital supremacy is heavily contested and Citadel space and ground forces are heavily entrenched. Ground invasions swiftly turned into a meat grinder, with casualties skyrocketing for both sides. The krogan are deployed in large numbers, allowing Citadel forces to recapture territory. The elcor 5__th__ auxiliary fleet loses over 200 troop transports and 85 frigates as a result._

_Allied Citadel industry, largely protected from Reaper attacks, remains at maximum efficiency. In contrast, the Reapers do not require such limitations are they harvest or indoctrinate their ground troops from the Terminus systems and batarian space. The seemingly endless waves of Reaper ships are only countered by advanced salarian and human technology as well as the heavy use of WMDs. The Reaper invasion progresses into Citadel territory. The Reapers, discouraged by lack of progress in ground invasions, begin long range bombardment of planets to soften up defenders. Several civilians are killed. In retaliation several Reaper occupied cities detonate nuclear weapons in the hopes of giving the Citadel more time. _

_In 2194, the Alliances 1__st__, 3__rd__, and 5__th__ fleets aided by the Hierarchy's 6__th__and 8__th__ fleets and the Raloi Confederation 4__th__ and 5__th__ fleets gather just beyond the outer colonies in the Terminus systems. Hundreds of preposition stealth corvettes disable the static Reaper defensive lines along the Terminus border and launched the entirety of their nuclear arsenal towards the Reaper fleets. Caught off guard from the surprise attack, Reaper fleets are momentarily in disarray. Before they are able to recover, the allied fleets smash through Reaper defensive lines. Pockets of resistance are swept aside from the awe-inspiring blitzkrieg. The allied fleet seizes fuel and supply depots with marine forces and destroy all other space board assets around the planets and press forward, leaving the geth 4__th__ fleet and krogan forces to guard the captured systems. Utilizing Raloi grade-b nuclear bombers or remote guided nuclear bombs, the allied fleet is able to counter the Reapers' superior numbers. The allied fleet loses 6 dreadnoughts, 35 battle cruisers, and 300 frigates. Reaper losses are far worse, nearly 400 capital ships are either damaged or destroyed and 600 destroyer escorts are destroyed._

_The lighting attack continues until the fleets take back the systems linking to the vorcha and quarian homeworlds. Reaper forces launch a counter attack, using relays to flank the allied fleet. The allied fleet sacrifices thousands of fighters and nuclear-capable bombers to cover their retreat. The entire Hierarchy 8__th__ fleet is wiped out. The Reapers manage to take back ground, but at the cost of 60 capital ships and 130 destroyers. The border to the Terminus system becomes no man's land as neither side can penetrate the other's defenses._

_At the same time Elcor and remaining batarian fleets, aided by the asari 7__th__ battle group, launch limited attacks on the Reaper forces in batarian space. Suffering the losses of a dreadnought, 8 cruisers, and 17 frigates, the combined fleet manages to recapture the colony Ramlat and uses the abundance of element zero to supply other fronts in the war . Victory is assured due to the number of capital ships redeploying to assist in the Terminus systems, leaving only 7destroyers to guard the planet. Salarians deploy 3 of their stealth dreadnoughts to this planet in case of withdrawal as there is still a heavy Reaper presence in the area, however they seem to be more concern with harvesting than combat._

_The asari 9__th__ fleet is deployed to the Elcor homeworld, where casualties are mounting. Reapers begin pushing deep into asari territory. Turian forces are redeployed to assist their allies. _

_In 2198, over 300 heretic geth ships begin a massive attack, deploying all available forces against the Actitan Traverse. The Alliance and the Raloi navies manage to hold ground. The heretic invasion is repelled, however Reaper forces begin deploying in mass. Overwhelmed, the allied fleets are forced to withdraw. Several inhabitable systems are destroyed as Alliance and Ceberus corvettes launch several Iron missiles towards stars, causing pre-mature novas. After 12 years, the Turtle's shell defenses in the Traverse are broken, resulting in 60 frigates and 200 hundred corvettes lost from an immense Reaper and heretic geth attack. However, several Alliance and Confederate squadrons break off from the retreating fleet, sowing chaos among Reaper destroyer escorts before they reach planet-side. The quarians are angered that their planet is ripped from their hands threaten to leave the Citadel forces. To compensate the Council gives the quarians two dextro-worlds despite heavy protest from the Alliance and Hierarchy. _

_The Alliance and Confederate navies, alongside a Union battle group, are redeployed to System Alliance space and heavily fortify their territories. Not stretched as thin anymore, but taking heavy losses, Citadel forces manage to stagnate the Reaper advance in Outer Council space. All available prothean and Krogan forces are deployed to Thessia, in order to bolster its defenses. Inspired by several successful ground battles, Citadel forces begin construction of several space and ground Anti-ship batteries. Forcing the Reapers to begin ground invasions once again. _

_Faced by additional Citadel reinforcements, the Reaper invasion into Outer council territory is stopped. Three more turian fleets arrive to support the defense. Salarian and quarian fleets attempt a daring maneuver, entering the Traverse through dormant relays in a counter offensive. Reaper forces are taken by surprise and take heavy losses. The counter offensive successfully drives the enemy fleets back. _

_In 2200, the war reaches a new century. Once again having the advantage of numbers, Reaper and heretic geth fleets press inward, and human, geth, batarian, and raloi defenders are forced to withdraw to heavily fortified strong points. The invasion fleets divide to attack several systems, which include the Attican Beta, Maroon sea, and Argos Riho systems. Their lessened numbers are unable to overcome the planetary defenses and suffer heavy causalities. Reaper forces are routed and fall back to world systems they have secured. As before, Cerberus and Omega fleets scatter throughout the Attican Traverse, attacking vulnerable targets and harassing the Reapers constantly._

_The remaining Alliance and Confederate fleets, no longer able to keep up with their losses, are stretched too thin to properly defend all of their territory. The geth fleets attempt to attack several weakly-defended systems to take pressure off of the Alliance and Confederate fleets. The hanar, generously donate several raw materials and ships to the Alliance and Confederacy. As a result of the war the Citadel's economy begins to crumble. Elcor, hanar, quarian, and geth economies and military remain unscathed due to not having their economies, or lack of, tied to the Citadel. Several riots break out, but are forcefully repressed and are treated as traitors or indoctrinated individuals to quickly suppress their movements and discredit them._

_In 2229, Reaper ships begin attacking several human and raloi colonies in Earth alliance space. Raiding fleets manage to inflict serious casualties; but they are unable to resist the incursions. Unable to abandon their defenses, the Alliance, Raloi, and geth fleets are unable to assist. Heretic geth fleets, aided by Reaper destroyers, manage to push the allied fleet to defensive line Alpha, which consists of the Horse head nebula, Exodus cluster, Petra Nebula, and Viper nebula systems _

_In 2235 the Reapers gain control of the Nimbus cluster and are within striking distance of Thessia, the asari homeworld. Without support from the asari and volus economies, the war effort cannot be financed. Facing economic collapse, the Citadel forces must end the war soon. _

_Prothean scientists manage to crack the Mars archive and blue prints of a super weapon are found. Only high personal in within the Citadel races are informed of the discovery. All species begin pooling their economic resources to construct the super weapon. _

_In the year 2249, the Reapers launch a simultaneous attack on Thessia and the Citadel. Forced to make a tough decision, the Council votes 4:1 to send the majority of its forces to aid in the Citadel's defense. Thousands of Reaper and Citadel ships are destroyed and several more are damaged. However, the tactical brilliance and resolve of the defenders culminates in victory. Despite knowing they are outnumbered, the Omega raiding fleet arrives in the Athena nebula. Its carriers begin evacuation of the planet, while its combat ships hold off the Reapers. Despite their valiant attempt only 300,000 civilians are saved. Omega's combat ships are wiped out, and its remaining ships are absorbed into other fleets. _

_In 2250, turian and human forces begin recruitment for the infamous suicide corps. Fighters armed with tactical nukes ram their fighters into Reaper ships to delay their advance. Hundreds of thousands of brave men and women of the Hierarchy and Alliance perish, but their sacrifice delays the Reapers long enough for construction on the super weapon to be finish. The Reapers, now realizing the existence of such a weapon through indoctrinated officials in conquered space, head to the Annos Basin system to prevent Citadel forces from deploying it. Attacking from two fronts, the Reapers cut off entire fleets from the relay using diversion and numbers to push the defenders back. Citadel forces scramble any reinforcements they can spare towards the system. In order to relieve pressure off the Alliance and allow them to assist in the final assault, remaining Cerberus ships arrive at Acturus station and their timely arrival helps the Alliance repel a Reaper attack. With the station secured, the Alliance navy is able to deploy the majority of its fleets to assist the Citadel forces. Cerberus fleets are completely wiped out following repeated attacks on the station. However, the organization's sacrifice prevents Reaper reinforcements from reaching the Annos Basin system._

_On December 16, 2250 0900 hours (Alliance Calendar)_

_Over a total of a 20 million Reaper and Citadel ships come face to face in what will be the bloodiest battle in recorded history. Outnumbered 100 to 1, the 200,000 Citadel ships met the 20 million Reaper ships head on. The Reapers use destroyers in mass to attack the Citadel armada; however this fails as the survivors of the suicide corps and hundreds of thousands of drones destroy over 400,000 Reaper destroyers, allowing bombers to attack capital ships. The Citadel manages to destroy another 20,000 Reaper escorts using WMDs at the cost of 400 corvettes, 90 battleships, and 30 dreadnoughts. It is calculated over 680 megatons of nuclear material is detonated in the battle. _

_The brave defenders become overwhelmed and the Reapers make a push towards the super weapon. Just 200 kilometers from the weapon the Reapers make a rush towards the weapon, however Citadel scientists manage to power up and fire the weapon. The weapon sends off a strong beam of energy towards the entire galaxy, wiping out the Reapers. Unfortunately without a proper IFF, the weapon also targets Citadel races, resulting in near extinction. This culminates in a pyrrhic victory. Whatever species remain, they're future is secured at the cost of trillions of lives. _

**Worst Outcome:**

_Communications with batarian space is lost. Presumed Hegemony involvement with the sudden blackout. An urgent message arrives from Alliance colonies in the Traverse stating they are being attacked. Citadel representatives immediately suspect the Hegemony and send the Hierarchy's 12__th__ fleet to investigate. Communications with the fleet are lost. Last known location was the Shadow Sea system. The Citadel experiences a surge in refugees from batarian space, warning of an immediate threat. Citadel militaries are on high alert._

_Reaper indoctrinated officials launch cyber warfare attacks against major Citadel trade stations, shipyards, and defense systems crippling the Citadel races' capabilities to counter-act against the Reapers. The Reapers commit half of their ships against Earth and Palaven, seeking to cut off the most militaristic species in the war quickly. Flying from relay to relay, the Reapers manage to evade Alliance and Hierarchy fleets; however they are unable to bypass the many defensive systems surrounding the relays, causing significant casualties. _

_At __Arcturus station__, more than 200 Reaper capital ships engage the Alliance's 13__h__ fleet. Evacuation of the station begins immediately. This is mere screening for the main force as thousands more capital ships arrive. The defensive batteries inflict heavy Reapers losses with 700 hundred capital ships destroyed and 2000 destroyers obliterated. After two hours of engagement, the fleet's carriers are successful in evacuating all surviving personal off the station. With the Reapers closing the distance rapidly, Admiral Katust Kawano orders the remnants of his fleet to regroup with the 1__st__ fleet at Earth. Though reluctant, several captains obey his command. Outnumbered and outgunned the SSV Defender of Arcturus fires all of its nuclear missiles, but not at the Reapers, but rather at the nearby relay. The resulting detonation of the relay is the obliteration of everything nearby, wiping out everything in the system. Communications with Arcturus station is lost, but the heroics of the SSV Defender of Arcturs and its crew became famous and it would be one of many sacrifices to come._

_On 2186 A massive Reaper fleet arrives at Earth in an attempt to divert Alliance resources to defend the planet. A bloody naval battle ensues with the defenders losing two entire fleets and the majority of its orbital defense system, but manage to inflict heavy losses against the Reapers. Cerberus fleets arrive at Earth unexpected and catch the Reapers off-guard. Cerberus is able to defeat the first wave of Reapers at the cost of 68% of its fleet. Earth is secured._

_Spectres, STG, and asari huntresses are deployed throughout asari space to delay the Reapers advance. Reaper assets are immediately targeted, and suffer heavy losses, however this merely slows down the Reapers. Sabotage further cripples the Alliance and Republics' economies. _

_Cloaked salarian ships manage to inflict heavy losses on the Reapers with just a few ships. However superior Reaper firepower soon overwhelms the raiding ships. Citadel fleets are forced to bunker down at fortified systems. Lighter defended Citadel systems begin to fall to the Reaper invasion. The Council economy switches to a war footing faster than the Reapers could have anticipated. Prothean scientists discover how to activate and deactivate the relays. This new information allows Citadel forces to emerge victorious against the Reapers in several systems._

_In the chaos, the Migrant fleet takes on a bold offensive to attack the geth and attempt to recapture their home system. The true geth, aware of the quarian intentions, immediately leave the system and head to Alliance-controlled space under the leadership of a geth platform named Legion. Only 30,000 ships, all of varying class, under the command of Admrial Koris disregard the order to attack the geth, knowing that by attacking them they would be driving the geth straight into the Reapers arms_

_As soon as the quarian flotilla arrives at the Persus Veil, Admiral Gerrel, believing the area to be clear of Reaper presence, commits all his ships in the recapture of their homeworld._

_The results are devastating. Initial strikes are successful and the embolden Admiral continues to push onward, stretching his supplies despite caution from other quarian Admirals. The quarians manage to push the geth all the way back to their home system where the Rannoch is located._

_Unbeknownst to the quarians, the geth they've been fighting were a small percentage of the heretic geth naval and ground forces and were merely diversions seeking to gain insight on quarian naval strategy and technology. Satisfied with their knowledge, the majority of the heretic geth navy, which were hiding in the Far rim when the Migrant fleet attacked, emerges from Rannoch's relay,. Cut off from the relay and facing superior firepower and numbers, all 220,000 ships are lost along with 30 million quarians._

_In 2187 the Reapers launch an offensive on the Terminus systems and Outer Council space. Superior Reaper numbers successfully overwhelm defenders on the ground, and most planets fall within the first weeks of the invasion. Outlying systems, abandoned by Citadel fleets, are easily captured by Reaper forces. The Council unanimously approves of the use of WMDs in space. _

_Human and Raloi fleets fall back to the most heavily defended core worlds as Citadel territory continues to shrink. Riots and calls for the removal of the Council erupts, but are quickly suppressed. Treated as indoctrinated citizens, they are executed and control is quickly restored._

_The Reapers attack Taterus, a turian colony and sight of the worst terrorist attack in Hierarchy history. Communications with Taterus are lost and the Hierarchy response the only way they know how, large numbers with overwhelming firepower. However, this leads them straight into a bloodbath as Reaper ships are located on the other side of the relay to Taetrus. Knowing the dangers of exiting a relay with unknown intelligence, turian commanders sent an overabundance of nuclear missiles to the other side of the relay and and they released devastating firepower upon the Reapers. Caught by surprise at the ingenuity of the turians, they were unprepared for the immense fleet that emerged from the relay. With soldiers and civilians alike clamoring for retribution against the Reapers, the fleet pressed onward fighting tooth and talon to inflict casualties against the Reaper fleet. Their valiant attempt sees them emerge victorious, but at the cost of 49% of its fleet. Morale among turians improves following the victory. The fight for turian space begins._

_Fearing numbers will overwhelm them; Citadel forces look to gather unusual allies. The remaining ships in the Migrant fleet, fearing that the heretic will target them following Admiral Gerrel's failed attempt at recapturing Rannoch, seeks protection in Citadel space in exchange for quarian assistance in the war effort. They are graciously accepted and sent towards Outer Council space to assist asari and turian forces. Quarian fleets conduct raids into Reaper lines, slowing their advance. _

_Despite massive protests and the threats of withdrawal from the Salarian Union, the Council votes 3:2 to cure the genophage in exchange for Krogan assistance. In an act of good will, allied forces cure the genophage, despite interference from the STG. Realizing they now have a future to fight for, Krogan clans unite under the banner of clan Urdnot. The krogans are sent to assist turian forces, which in turn allows turian forces to assist the salarians and humans in Alliance space. _

_Secret negotiations are established between the geth and the Alliance. Gaining insight that artificial intelligences no longer have to fear organics, the true geth ally with Citadel forces while the heretic geth continue of fight under the Reaper's influence. Their fleets are sent towards Raloi Confederate space, where defensive lines are collapsing. They arrive just in time to relieve the beleaguered defenders. The quarians welcome the true geth with open arms, though animosity between the two groups exist. _

_In 2188, faced with utter annihilation, military planners have considered extreme solutions in their quest to stop the Reapers, thus the creation of Kamikaze pilots are once again reborn. Fighters armed with nuclear payloads, fly their ships towards Reaper ships, buying time for Citadel forces to rebuild their war machine._

_In 2190, the Reapers press deep into asari space and in a massive blitzkrieg attack, attempt to take Thessia. The assault on __Thessia__ did not go as smoothly as the Reapers' strikes against other races. While other species met the Reapers head-on, the __asari__ resorted to dangerous hit-and-run tactics to harass their attackers. By engaging in guerilla strategies, blasting a Reaper ship, then jumping to FTL where they could not be tracked, the asari forced the Reapers to remain on the defensive. However, the Reapers use their superior numbers to repel any attack and not having to worry about supply lines, such losses considered acceptable. The Reapers begin orbital bombardment of Thessia, forcing the asari to meet the Reapers head on. As soon as the Reapers land on Thessia, the harvesting begins. A swift and brutal slaughter of the asari ground forces followes. Resistance from trained __biotics__ barely slow the attackers down. In the end, Thessia's minimal military forces, combined with unpreparedness in the face of an overwhelming enemy, results in the fall of the planet. _

_In 2191 Earth, Sur'kesh, Irune, and even Raloin are lost to the Reapers following a massive attack and several sabotage attacks by indoctrinated officials. Only Tuchanka and Turian space remain in Citadel hands. The Reapers press towards Tuchanka. The brutalities of the krogan as well as their high-birth rate prevent the Reapers from capturing the planet. Noticing that the krogan posse no official navy, the Reapers write them off as a pre-flight species in order to prevent future losses. The failed offensive results in over 90 capital ships and 840 destroyers lost due to the use of WMDs, planetary cannons, and the hostile native life. _

_In order to speed up harvesting, the Reapers begin_ _jumping to strategically important Citadel worlds and skip other less important star systems, allowing the Reapers to conserve their resources and fight efficiently. The conflict with the Reapers causes the destruction of countless populated systems and the cost of more than 2/3rds of the galactic population and significant military resources. While Citadel forces are able of dealing with the Reapers on equal, and in some cases superior, footing the total forces that can be committed are not enough to ensure victory. _

_In 2192, Citadel forces make great advances in military and science technology that surpass even the Reapers, thanks to the efforts of salarian and human scientists. Unfortunately, these advancements come too late as the Reapers manage to push Citadel forces to the turian homeworld, Palaven and a few other core systems. Citadel forces continue to lose star system after system. Preservations are immediately undertaken by the remaining leaders, storing vast amounts of information on the Reapers existence, capabilities, and goals for the next cycle to learn._

_By 2195 Palaven is the sole remaining planet in Citadel hands. Several suicides are committed; however the majority of the planets military remain intact._

_In the same year, the Reapers attack Palaven in hopes of harvesting the remaining organics in the cycle. The remaining navies of surviving species massed in force around __Palaven__. Fleet Admiral Irix Coronati, aware of the Reapers' attack stationed only two carriers, HWS Undaunted and HWS Resolute, near the system's relay. When the Reaper fleet emerged, the carriers launched swarms of unmanned nuclear-armed fighters and attack drones. The initial waves of the Reapers are completely destroyed. The drones are able to transmit vital data on the Reapers, such as formation, composition, and numbers. The remaining Citadel fleets take up defensive positions around Palaven. _

_Knowing that the Reapers' were unable to detect stealth ships, Coronati orders salarian and human stealth vessels to FTL jump in the middle of the second-wave of Reapers and deploy their entire nuclear arsenal. Once the ships FTL jumped out of the detonation zone, the warheads are detonated resulting in over thousands of capital and destroyer ships destroyed._

_The dreadnoughts then turn to line up their main guns on the Reapers' third wave, which also need to close the distance to fire on the Citadel ships. This ploy uses the Reapers' speed against them because they weren't able to match the maneuverability of the Citadel ships. The Citadel dreadnoughts lock on the largest targets first, and their concentrated firepower downs several Reaper capital ships. _

_The Reapers counter instantly. Their destroyers perform a jump of their own to the skies above Palaven, beginning orbital strikes on several cities. However, several Citadel frigates and destroyers engaged the Reaper escorts, severely depleting their numbers. However, several Reaper troops were deployed planet-side._

_Free of their escorts, Citadel suicide pilots and bombers began bombing runs on Reaper capital ships. The results are devastating; the Reapers lose approximately 700 capital ships and about 1200 destroyers. The Citadel navy loses hundreds of fighters and bombers, 13 battleships, 32 battle cruisers, 82 cruisers, and 328 destroyers. Angered, the Reapers commit all of their ships on Palaven. Despite superior numbers, the valiant efforts of the defenders are able to repel several Reaper invasions constantly. _

_In 2200 a massive Reaper fleet manages to overwhelm what remains of the Citadel fleets. Over a million Reaper ships attack Palaven; however the well-armed forces refuse to surrender._

_In a final desperate act of defiance, several remaining AI operated Alliance corvettes launch their remaining nuclear arsenal at Palaven's sun. The results culminate in the worst defeat the Reapers have ever seen and are unaware what caused the pre-mature nova. Exiting the system VIA warp space, Alliance corvettes begin deploying the Citadel version of the Prothean beacons into countless systems, unbeknownst to the Reapers. Following the ships success, they are detonated insuring the Reapers are unaware of this last effort. With the all organics and synthetics wiped from the cycle the Reapers return to dark space unaware that the seeds of their destruction have been planted all across the galaxy._

* * *

**Raloin **

**Raloi Homeworld.**

**Confederate House**

"I must admit, your performance in front of the Council was extraordinary." Olesik Cal, Commander of all Raloi naval and ground forces, complimented his compatriot.

"I simply aim to serve the Confederacy well." Marva responded, drinking a glass of Raloi alcohol.

They were walking across a hallway, lined with a velvet carpet running across the length of the hall, which belonged to the Raloi's Confederate House, the heart of the raloi government. The Confederate house was rectangular shaped building, with a circle in the middle that served as a meeting point for all Raloi leaders from all three wings. The structure was bland in terms of anesthetics, but that was a result of the raloi emphasis on practically over design. While it wasn't the most appealing building, the Confederate House featured several secret passageways and secret rooms that only government officials and their bodyguards knew of. To prevent a massive leak, each government official was assigned one per person, with the head of each wing knowing of all passageways belonging to their perspective wings. The purpose behind the construction of these passageways was to ensure as many top leaders could be safely secured following a terrorist attack or galactic war. And the raloi government building has seen a lot of both since its species introduction to the galactic community. As a result it has been fortified and traffic around the government building is heavily controlled and features many checkpoints.

"That you have. However, there are some that are worried about how well your diplomatic skills have improved. There are rumors that you have less than legitimate sources of intelligence. I've been trying to contain the outbreak of these rumors, but they are spreading." As they continued walking, they passed several portraits of famous and revered raloi military commanders, showing any passengers that they were in the military wing. The white round ceiling featured several hanged chandeliers, which were made of pure diamonds.

Olesik thought about the mineral. Unlike other races, the raloi knew how to excavate resources with maximum efficiency, often leaving them with an overabundance of minerals. Unfortunately, the asari, viewing the raloi as competitors, lowered the pricing on their exports. Since they were larger, asari corporations could handle the loss in profits. Luckily several human and salarian corporations invested heavily in the raloi market and were large trading partners. In exchange the raloi had to purchase several sensors, firewalls applications, and other cyber security measures from the humans and salarians. It was necessary; otherwise the asari would attempt to steal their refining methods. No doubt once they did, they would start spitting Silaris armor out of the assembly line, something that made the salarians and humans nervous. This was the only counter balance that the asari possessed to salarian speed, turian numbers, and human durability in naval warfare.

Marva grimaced. "Really now? Then tell me, who are the people that have been spreading these rumors." Her amber eyes meeting Olesik's in defiance. She had a way of dealing with schemers, and if they wanted to see her undiplomatic side, then she'll show them.

She brought Olesik out of his thoughts. "Inops," He answered. "Marva, I know what you're thinking and trust me it isn't a good idea. You and I both know this is trap. It's best to just ignore them."

Marva snorted audibly. She was aware of the leader of Inops or Intelligence Operations as it was more commonly known. Reektor Gormor, ex-economic cabinet member and prodigy to Gotren Kolen, Marva's father, before being involved in politics. He was educated, ambitious, handsome, and athletic. Every Raloi woman's dream, well everyone except Marva's. He was crazy about her and wanted to marry her. Of course being a prodigy of her father, Gotren approved. Of course she had turned him down and no doubt he was angered and by managing Raloi's intelligence he hoped to find a way to discredit her. She knew he had her father's help; otherwise switching positions would've been more difficult. The thought made her mad. Mad at Reektor, mad at her father, mad at herself for allowing this to continue behind her back. It irritated the proud woman.

Sensing her emotions, Olesik placed a hand on her shoulder. "Look I understand wanting to storm into Inops with your fists, but that is exactly what they want, to provoke you. Shawa and Laref are on your side, so don't worry about Reektor. I-we have faith in you."

Marva was able to catch the slip and smiled. Never had anyone treated her as an equal like Olesik had. She stared into his green eyes, disregarding the world around her. Marva's breath grew shallower as her heart added what seemed another 50 beats per minute to her heart. She had always regarded Olesik as someone she deeply respected. He was loyal, friendly, and despite the long scar across his cheek, she found him handsome. She had no doubts that several woman have shown interest in him, after all he had manage to climb his way out of a low class and managed to secure one of three top positions in the Raloi government all through merit. Hardly anyone disliked him and the majority of his generals followed him without question. He wasn't ambitious, which made him a trustworthy individual. As her thoughts raced, she failed to notice both of their heads getting closer and closer. Suddenly her omni-tool beeped rapidly, indicating she was receiving a message.

Suddenly both Marva and Olesik were aware of their close proximity to each other, as well as the position of their arms. Olesik had one of his arms holding Marva's elbow and the other was around her waist. Marva had both of her hands on Olesik's shoulders. Olesik's face became flustered and a deep orange spread across his cheeks. He immediately retracted his limbs from Marva's body, much to her disappointment. She followed his actions, though more slowly.

"Well, I-uh I'll let you take the message. I'm sure it's important after all. Any way I have to go prepare our forces for the upcoming engagement."

As he continued down the hall, Marava couldn't help herself. "Olesik!" She shouted. He turned to see her smiling. "Thanks!" She hollered.

"No problem." He shouted back.

Marva meant it. She was thankful for his faith in her, for standing by her side, and for showing interest in her. Olesik wasn't the most handsome male Raloi, but she didn't care. He was the first. The first to take a chance to get close to her.

She became aware and frustrated of the constant beeping of her omni-tool. Seeing the address was marked 'C', she made sure no one was around. Taking precaution, she entered a nearby bath room. Leaning against the door, she opened the message and a hologram of the Illusive Man appeared.

"What do you want?" She hissed.

If the Illusive Man was offended, he didn't show it. "Cerberus is aware the Raloi army is planning an assault on a batarian colony."

'_Of course you'd be aware.' _Marva thought.

"We have intelligence suggesting that the Shadow Broker is aiding the slavers and has committed resources to ensure they're victorious."

"Is that all?" She asked with venom in her voice.

The Illusive Man raised his eyebrows. "Is that how you show your appreciation? If I remember correctly we have assisted you tremendously in the past." The warning in the message was clear, 'don't make an enemy of us.'

Marva took a deep breath and exhaled. "I apologize. This is simply not a good time."

"When is it ever? Regardless, Cerberus believes that the Shadow Broker has been assisting the batarians, and by extension the Collectors."

"So our interests are aligned then?"

"Exactly. We'll deploy operatives into the area to eliminate the Shadow Broker's agents, allowing your army to suffer significantly less casualties."

"Very well. Just make sure your operatives stay out of our way. I don't have control over the army and they'll probably shoot on site. However, I need something from you." She said before the Illusive Man could cut the transmission.

"And what might that be?"

"Tell me, do you know of a Raloi named Reektor Gormor?"

"Cerberus has nothing on him. Why? Is he a threat?"

"No, nothing of the sort. I just need you to tap into his comms and relay any information you can get on him."

The Illusive Man nodded his head. Satisfied, Marva cut the transmission and exited the room with dangerous smile on her lips.

'_If Reektor wants to a battle, then I'll give him a war.' _She thought as she walked down the hall.

* * *

A/N: Before people start attacking me because of the simulation here are some key facts:

1\. It did not take into account the rachni or their navy. Dhun dhun dhun.

2\. It did not include the Leviathans or the collectors, the reapers have many more on their ships in dark space.

3\. It is assumed capital ships are the largest reaper ships, but what happens if they're not? SUSPENCE!


	16. Chapter 16 - Quaratine I

**Warning: This chapter is rated A for Awesome. Viewer discretion is advised. ** I** suggest you put Nacho libre end fight when you see Grunt climbing, trust me its epic!**

* * *

4-1-2184 2043 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Corvette**

**War room**

"_Cap, the Normandy is docked."_ Joker announced over the radio as the Normandy's airlock docked with an Omega hangar.

"Roger that, Joker," Shepard responded. Speaking from underneath a titan helmet, his voice sounded a bit robotic. The helmet came with an integrated air scrubber/filtration module, communications equipment, a heads up display, a flashlight and retractable antennae on its right side. His face was covered behind a blue polarized visor.

He was wearing a full suit of white titan-class heavy body armor. On his right chest was the signature Alliance logo, a black colored eagle in a predatory stance with a circle around it. On his left chest was his rank and name. He was equipped with the titan standard MX rail gun carbine, which fired the standard Alliance 7.62mm round at high velocities; it came attached with a grenade launcher and scope. On his right thigh was a M5 10mm Beta pistol, and on his back was an M35semi-automatic drum-fed action shotgun, which held 10-gauge shotgun shells. For crowds he packed five M97 frag grenades.

He stood in front of the ground team, most of who were armed and armored in case extra reinforcements were needed. Even though the war room was relatively small, each crew member worked efficiently at his or her own station with hologram interfaces. Situated at the center of the room was an advanced interface, which showed the blueprints of any station or building they came across. "Alright I'm sure all of you have heard of the virus plaguing Omega. Because of that, Mordin will come with me, along with Samara. The virus doesn't seem to be affecting salarians are asari."

Mordin was equipped with his usual attire, but with added sensors, medical supplies, hacking equipment, ballistic vest, and an air filter. Since the virus didn't affect asari or salarian, he didn't need to worry about exposure, however he was prepared just in case. He was equipped with an SU-43 submachine gun with a suppressor, holo-graphic sight, and grip. Unlike conventional weapons, the SU-43 was 26 inches long, yet had a drum with 60-heat sinks in the center of the weapon. For a sidearm he went with the STG trusted SU-12 Scorpion added with a laser sight for added precision. He also had three EMP and five sensor grenades.

Samara wore the black colored asari commando armor on top of her Justicar uniform. She too wore a gas mask for safety. She was armed with the M99 Saber with a fore grip and Acolyte pistol with added heat sinks. She carried three anti-matter grenades and three smoke grenades.

"Shepard, this is Omega. I've been here before and trust me the locals aren't fond of the Alliance. You're going to need me. Unless you happen to know Aria on a personal level." Nyreen said, nominating herself for the mission. She wore the standard Armax arsenal turian armor and carried five frag and flash bang grenades. She was equipped with the Krysae sniper rifle and the trusted Phaeston assault rifle. Aside from her weapons she carried several bags of medi-gel at the cost of extra heat sinks. She also had two remote detonated surveillance drones to tack additional targets.

"Wait, how do you know the pirate queen?" Garrus asked, suspicious of his girlfriend. His load-out was nearly identical to Nyreen's, but he instead carried the black widow sniper rifle.

"I don't like to talk about it." She responded, crossing her arms and avoiding his gaze.

"Nyreen, you do realize the plague affects turians right?" Shepard asked her.

"It affects humans too, but I don't see that stopping you." She countered.

"And there is the Nyreen I know." Even if Garrus was trying to pry information out of someone, he could still do it in a friendly manner. A tribute to his many years as a detective.

Shepard sighed, "Fine. Get yourself ready and make sure you have the appropriate equipment. If any of us get infected with the virus, we can only hope Mordin and Chakwas can create a cure." He warned her.

"Not to worry, Shepard. Once I take samples and collect data on the virus. It should take me no more than a solar day to create one." Mordin was able to say that whole sentence in the span of ten seconds. Already he was going through reports on the virus, its symptoms, duration before death, etc. He didn't seem bothered by memorizing such a large span of information.

"Shepard, I'll go and see if Chakwas needs my help. Just in case…well you know." Liara said as she got up and excused herself. The risk of exposure from the virus was very real for each ground member since it was unknown if the virus was capable of mutating. Aside from Mordin and Chakwas, Liara was the only other person with medical experience in treating multiple species.

"Hold on, Shepard. You aren't counting me out." Zaeed announced, just before Shepard could commence the mission. He wore a ballistic vest enclosing the entire torso, locked on the sides, with additional armored panels on the front, a life support unit on the back, armored plates worn on the legs and a helmet. The helmet was a large, transparent faceplate, with similar features as Shepard's but less advanced. He chose the Alliance standard ARC5 rail gun assault rifle. The ARC5 was built around the new 6.8mm Alliance light rifle round. The 6.8's bullet is slightly heavier than the older 5.56mm and is designed to better penetrate body armor and then tumble inside the target's body. The designers of the ARC5 added a folding stock and a compact, single-shot 25mm airburst grenade launcher. The grenade launcher permits the shooter to launch airburst explosives mere steps from a target hiding behind a corner or other hard cover. In addition he packed the M100A advanced heavy sniper rifle. It used a semi-automatic action to fire a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun slug to great ranges.

"Surely you can't be serious?" Shepard asked the veteran merc.

"I practically lived here when I served with the Red Hand and there a few friends of mine that might help us. Either way I know this place like the back and hand, which I'll use to slap you if you ever ask that question again."

"Alright you can come too." Shepard and the rest of the team immediately stared at Ramirez, who just stood in the middle of the room encased in the same armor Shepard wore.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" He asked, suspecting the answer, but was hoping he was wrong.

"Because you'll be leading bravo team." Zaeed told him, throwing an MX carbine and a MP12S submachine gun. The MP12S was a sound-suppressed version of the MP12. It came attached with a fore grip, holographic sight, and fired the Alliance 6.8mm round.

"Yeah I was afraid of that." He responded taking the weapons. Per protocol, Ramirez was already equipped the M5 Beta pistol.

"Alright people, listen up. Our mission is to collect data on the virus, eliminate those who manufactured and deployed it, and if possible cure the station. Any questions?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah, how exactly will we know if we're infected?" Ramirez asked.

"Simple, from documented reports on Omega, you'll be aware if you developed a deep rash, severe coughing, vomiting of digestives or blood, and/or severe muscle pain. Luckily symptoms begin after a week of exposure so eradication of said virus from your system should be feasible once I've developed a cure." Mordin answered.

"'Should be'?"

Mordin frowned, "There are no guarantees in medicine."

"Neither are there in war. Now quit complaining and let's get this over with." Zaeed said as he filed out the door. He was followed out by Shepard's team, which was designated Alpha team.

* * *

**SSV Normandy **

**Command Deck **

Joker, still in his hazmat suit, decided to recline his chair once the Normandy was docked. He pulled down his cap and the uncanny pilot fell asleep almost instantly. His snoring prevented him from hearing Shepard approach behind him.

Seeing Joker in such a calm state, Shepard decided to wake his friend the old fashion way. "FLIGHT LIEUTENANT ARE YOU SLEEPING ON THE JOB!?" Shepard's loud voice echoed throughout the Command Deck.

Joker sprang from his chair, his heart seeming to pump through his chest. "Flight Lieutenant at the…damn it Shepard what are you still doing here?! We've already docked so you can get off the ship. So you know you're free to go and get yourself infected." Joker's sarcasm was prevalent as ever, and he clearly had no reservations about subjecting them onto Shepard. Turning his chair around, he fixed Shepard with a glare.

Shepard just laughed. "Sorry, Joker just wanted to make sure you were alert."

Looking behind him, he saw five members of the crew, three of which caught his attention. "Uh…Shepard didn't Alliance intelligence say the virus affected turians and humans?"

"Of course."

"Then why is Ramirez standing behind your team with Zaeed and Nyreen?"

"Because they both volunteered."

"Both?"

"Yeah and I was conscripted." Ramirez answered.

"Bummer." Joker rubbed his covered goatee, thinking of a clever joke to say. "So if you get infected, does that mean we'll get to throw you in a dungeon or inside a plastic bubble?"

Shepard smacked his friend, behind the head "Joker, don't be an ass."

"What can I say I'm an entertainer." He defended.

"Too bad you've never entertained a woman in your life." Ramirez mocked. The entire command deck erupted into laughter.

"Hah hah, very funny Ramirez. You know, I can have EDI suck you out of the airlock for insulting me on my bridge." Joker turned over to look at her avatar, pulsing gently as if unfazed by the argument before her.

"Actually, that is not one of my functions on the Normandy, Mr. Moreau. I am installed on this ship to navigate, engage in cyber attacks, assist in calibrating weapons, and…"

"Yea I got EDI! It was supposed to be a joke. By the way, Shepard do you sneak up on everyone or is that some weird fetish you have going on?"

Shepard moved closer to the pilot, putting his arm on his shoulder. "Only for you Joker; only for you."

"Geez, and the rest of the crew usually complains about _me _making sick jokes. Looks like we have a new creep on board."

"Says the guy in a hazmat suit. Have you even bathed since you put that thing on?" Ramirez could swear he was seeing stench lines inside the pilot's suit.

"When you get infected by the virus, we'll see who's laughing then." Offended for the last time, Joker turned the chair back around.

"In any case, make sure the ship stays safe Joker." Shepard said, leading the team out of the airlock.

"Aye Aye captain."

* * *

**Omega **

**Docks**

Stepping through the airlock, the gang was officially in uncharted territory. Omega, the capital of the Terminus underworld. A station that served as a practical safe haven for criminals, terrorists, and malcontents. Omega had no central government; those who had the biggest gun had the most power. Here if there was a buyer, there was a seller. Narcotics, weapons, and eezo trafficking fueled Omega's economy. It was basically a dark twisted version of the Citadel.

"Omega. You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum, murderers, and thieves anywhere else." Nyreen said with distaste, as she led the way.

"And we're walking straight into this godforsaken hell hole of a station." Zaeed's thoughts mirrored Nyreen's.

As they walked through the hangar, Shepard took a long look at the space around him. A dull red light permeated the massive city-asteroid, tinting everything the color of dried blood. The ground was made up of dull, dirty steel, or what Shepard thought was steel. Centuries of negligence caused several layers of filth to blanket the ground and as a result it was now dyed a blackish-brown color. Rubbish and debris sat in untidy piles in the corners and there was no sky view out to space, just more dirt. Even the air seemed tainted and Shepard felt like he needed to shower once he got back to the Normandy.

As the group continued walking, Shepard noticed several beggars. He took pity on them, already they were in a bad situation, and then it just got worse for them. He suspected a few warlords used the plague as an excuse to remove the vagrants. Sick or not, a lot of people were carrying some sort of weapon. Many let the heavily armed group advance without disturbance, however a few eyes continue to linger. As they continued walking towards their destination, the streets became more crowded. With so many people walking around, Shepard made sure his weapons were locked onto his armor. The last thing he needed was some pickpocket shooting him with his own weapons. The place set Shepard on edge.

It wasn't just the appearance of the station, but the sound as well. A constant wail of air cars, machinery, music, arguments, fits of coughing and begging from the poor. "I would've thought that this place would seem…I don't know more chaotic. I mean they've must've heard of the Reapers, and with the plague going on…it doesn't seem to be affecting these people a whole lot." Ramirez spoke up.

"You'd be right in that assumption. Suspect Collectors use Omega-4 relay nearby, yet many in the Terminus still dismissed them as legend until recently. For them to believe of ancient machines, which harvest all space faring species in the galaxy, they would have to see them with their own eyes or…" Mordin began, before they came across a batarian preacher.

The batarian preacher locked all four eyes on the group and singled them out. "Blight! Blight! The great harvesters shall see you're kinds flame extinguished. We shall be greeted as their great servants and ascend to greatness…"

"Or mad." Mordin finished his earlier sentence as they passed the preacher.

"Well that was interesting." Shepard said as he continued to follow Nyreen and Zaeed.

"Evil has a strong hand here on this station." Samara said, seeing so much injustice around her. Normally she would have gone on a rampage; however her oath to Shepard prevented that.

"You're not going to go berserk and start killing anyone who liters right?" It would seem Ramirez was spending too much time with Joker.

Samara didn't catch the sarcasm in Ramirez's voice and stared at him passively. "So long as innocents are not endangered I will hold my hand." If she could see behind a polarized visor, she would see Ramirez staring at her wide-eyed.

"So Zaeed where are these friends of yours?" Shepard asked semi-sarcastically, curious to see how he would respond.

"They should be at the entrance to Afterlife." He responded.

"That would be…?"

"Right, you're not from around here. Afterlife is the one of the main clubs here on Omega."

"And it's where Aria resides overlooking the club." Nyreen clarified.

"So we'll be hitting two birds with one stone? Alright." They managed to reach Omega's markets, which was buzzing with activity. Shepard looked at the people, who swarmed from one station to another. They mostly seemed impoverished civilians, yet looked like they'd stab anyone who looked at them the wrong way. It was different rules than Shepard was accustomed to. In the Alliance, he was able to trust the soldier next to him. Here he couldn't go a few seconds without looking for anyone who would start screaming and charge at them with a knife.

'_I can't wait to get off this station.'_ He thought as he kept walking with extreme paranoia.

They didn't need to struggle across the sea of civilians. The armor and weapons they had attracted attention and once people caught a look at the group they would move out of the way. Shepard stared at the lines of what resembled walking skeletons than actual people. They had threadbare clothes, ripped attire, and even pieces of recycled material around their bodies. Very few people had complete functional suits of attire. Even a few mercs who were in the area carefully watched the crowd to see if they would start attacking each other in a mad frenzy. It did not help ease Shepard's anxiety. As Shepard continued to stare at the crowd, they stared back. It sent a shiver down his spine.

Once they made it to Afterlife's entrance without any bullet holes, Shepard was relieved and thanked whatever deity allowed them the good fortune. Shepard noticed a long single file line of various species waiting outside the entrance to the club. As they approached the entrance, a salarian greeter walked towards the group. "Welcome to Omega. All of you are new here aren't ya? I can always tell. Allow..."

Before he could finish, two heavily armed individuals wearing full suits of crimson red armor arrived. "Oh…uh…hello Gallick…I was just..." Before he could finish explaining himself one of the guards, a turian by the appearance of his figure, cut him off.

"Leave Farget now." The turian commanded.

"Of course Gallick." The salarian buzzed off like a bee from the group.

Judging from the color scheme of the armor and the signature red hand painted on the shoulders, Shepard easily realized that these two mercs were Zaeed's contacts.

"Shepard, I like you to meet General Gallick leader of the Red Hand on Omega. The kid here is Jace Reyn." Zaeed introduced Shepard to his fellow mercs.

"Nice to meet you." Shepard said, holding out a hand.

Gallick accepted the handshake. "Sorry about that. There are always scavengers who try to scam people new to the station out of everything they own. We try to keep some order, but…lately things have been a bit tense."

"How tense?"

Gallick motion for Shepard to follow him. Stepping through the doors, Shepard could hear protests of people still standing in line. The doors revealed a long narrow hall, with red tint lights and moving flame vinyl on the walls. Several tables and chairs were lined up on either side of the walkway. "Well about a week ago there was a riot in the markets over food. Twenty died with another thirty-five injured. Every store had to hire a mercenary group just to keep the crowds from breaking in and stealing everything. We had to ration what we had. Things looked good for a while, then that plague hit the apartments in the Gozu district and then…everything went to hell real fast. Every race that wasn't affected began pouring into the apartments looking to 'scavenge' materials.' We lost twelve men trying to hold the crowd back. After that, we just quarantined the place. Nothing can get in or out." He explained as he led the group.

"Things seem bad."

"Well it got worse. Seeing as how the Red Hand employs two of the three races affected, the Blue Suns and Eclipse decided to push into our territory."

"What about Blood Pack?" Shepard questioned.

"Now here is where things get ironic. Garm came to us with a deal. Since the virus was affecting krogans as well and since they led the hordes of vorcha, he offered to assist us in exchange for the same favor. It gave us some breathing room, but the Blue Suns and Eclipse have mechs, biotics, and a lot more troops. Plus they already controlled most of the station before they decided to get greedy."

"So you need that plague cured as soon as possible." Shepard guessed.

"I needed it cured last week. But yea if you can do that'll be great. A few of my men are waiting inside Afterlife at the bar. I'll explain the situation there."

Halfway towards the entrance, the doors opened up to reveal a turian dragging an unconscious batarian out of the club. The turian in questioned then equipped his pistol and shot the man in cold blood three times. The turian calmly turned around and walked back inside the club. Shepard and Ramirez were stunned.

"Shepard, you saw that right?" Ramirez asked him.

"Yea. Kinda wish I hadn't." He answered.

Samara's body flared blue as she activated her biotics and headed towards the entrance to the club. Before she could get far, Zaeed seized her arm. "Let me go!" She demanded.

"Listen sweetheart. For all we know, that batarian deserved what he got. You should make sure who you start avenging before you get us all killed."

Samara deactivated her biotics. Seeing her in a calmer state, Zaeed let her go. "This innocent must be avenged." She argued.

"Zaeed's right Samara. We don't know of this man was innocent or not. Here you only end up dead if you screw anyone and he doesn't look like a common citizen." Nyreen tried explaining.

"Very well. Let's just get off this station as quick as we can." Samara seemed to accept the two crew members' reasoning.

"Well that was interesting," Gallick remarked on the situation in front of him. "Let's continue onward before something else happens." As the group stepped into Afterlife, Shepard could see why so many were trying to get in. In the center of the club was a large neon pole with two metal scaffold platforms attached to the sides and around it was a round platform, which had several asari dancing. Music blared loudly with several people dancing. People were getting drunk at the bar, and the rest were either eating or chatting with one another.

'_I didn't think asari were capable of being that flexible. If Tali were here, she'd probably be jealous.' _Shepard thought.

* * *

**Omega **

**Afterlife**

**Balcony**

"This is PATHETIC!"

Aria threw the data pad at the batarian. She didn't come this far to be kicked out of the game now. It didn't matter if the batarian cowering in fear used the info or not. It was the fact that he was stupid enough to hand it out. She stood and planted her fist straight into the guards face. The batarian collapsed with a shout of agony. She walked over and stepped on his open palm, making him scream more.

"I don't know what the hell you were thinking, but I want to know who you gave the information to. Do you understand?"

She twisted his hand under her shoe.

"Y-Yes! Please I have a family!"

"Now tell me, who did you give the information to!?" She demanded.

"T-The…S-Shadow Broker." The batarian whimpered in fear.

In furious rage, her foot collided with his face and he let out a groan. She motioned to the turian beside the entryway. He picked up the batarian clumsily, dragging him across the floor and out of the room. Aria watched from her window as the guard dragged him out of the doors of Afterlife. This is what happened to those who broke the one rule on Omega: Don't fuck with Aria. You're left to die in the slums, wallowing in your own self-pity, or if she felt generous she would just shoot you right then and there ending you suffering. Here there were no second chances, danger lurked in every corner. It's what made Omega so wonderful to Aria. There was no intergalactic law, no regulations, not even politics. Only Aria herself had personal guards and they refused to take orders from anyone else. Omega was a free place where the guilty could rest and where crime didn't matter. Con men, thieves, murderers, even warlords enjoyed Omega's hospitality. You piss off somebody powerful here and you're done for.

And that's exactly why that man was going to die, he gave valuable information to the Broker and that was something unforgivable. Aria never minded Broker cells operating on Omega or other people looking for trouble with the locals, but now things seemed to have changed. The Broker had information on her spouse, who happened to be a high ranking Matriarch in the Asari Republics. Aria and her spouse never sought eye to eye, they were just too different. Aria preferred freedom while her spouse preferred order, but even Aria, no matter how cruel, would make sure her loved ones were protected.

Aria sat on her sofa with her legs crossed, contemplating. _'What does the Broker want with an Asari Matriarch? Leverage? But then why would he want Omega? Power? Probably. Is the Broker behind the plague? Is he weakening Omega in order to strike against it? Is he helping the Collectors?'_ She motioned to the returning guard. He leaned in and she gave him the orders. Aria needed a plan. A lot of people wanted Aria dead, but most people weren't as resourceful or powerful as the Broker. In the Terminus, life wasn't about protecting others it was about survival. Whoever ended up the wealthiest, with the bigger gun, and the most power won. And now, Aria needed to call in a few favors. It was then, high up from her throne that she saw a large group of heavily armed squad enter her club and headed towards the bar. Normally she would ignore them as mercenary gangs visited Afterlife for entertainment often. But the group stood out for a few reasons. First three people within the group wore Alliance armor and second they had one person in particular that caught her interest. Her ex-lover: Nyreen. The group seemed to be discussing amongst themselves, when a large group of Blue Suns and Eclipse mercs approached them.

Sensing trouble, Aria's guards withdrew to defensive positions around her. Lead by her Patriarch, the former ruler of Omega, her guards were ready to defend the pirate queen to their last breath. One of her guards moved to defuse the situation before she motioned him to stop. A smirk appeared on her face. "Well things have gotten interesting."

* * *

**Omega **

**Afterlife **

**Bar **

Aside from the shocking murder of the batarian at the front door of the club, things went pretty smoothly since then. Once they met up with a few of Gallick's men, he explained how the Gozu district was practically a warzone. He mentioned a few Red Hand and Blood Pack mercs were willing to help, but they would be facing numerous biotics, tech specialists, mechs, and foot soldiers. He also mentioned that a salarian doctor had set up a clinic and was assisting the plague victims, but the way there would be tough. They had a platoon of men stationed there, but contact with them has been lost. If they could get there, then they'll have a forward operating base and probably access to the clinic's medical supplies.

"So you think this salarian doctor has found a way to cure the victims?" Shepard asked.

"Not sure, but he should have the most knowledge on it. I know it's not much, but it's all we got at the moment." Gallick answered.

"No problem. Mordin, what do you think?"

"Treating victims, bold step. Mercs may take it as an insult, retaliation likely. If clinic falls, results would be problematic. Notes may accelerate development of cure." The mercs, who were not accustomed to the rapid pace of the salarian professor's speech, were taken aback.

Gallick looked at Shepard, who replied, "He talks like that all the time."

"Well that has to be…interesting."

"Yea."

"Shepard, heads up. Looks like we have trouble." Zaeed informed him. The veteran merc could recognized the signature uniform of the Blue Suns, not that it was difficult as nearly half the club was tainted with the presence of the mercs.

"Well, look at what we have here. Gallick, are you recruiting posers now? I know we've been cutting down your men, but I didn't know it was this bad." Taunted a bald young man. He had slightly tanned skin, but overall was pale. He didn't look older than 28 years old. Behind him stood a large group of mercs, and many more were staring at them from places all over the club.

'_Great just what I needed. A jackass, who wants to play tough,'_ Shepard thought. He didn't have the time or patience to deal with the idiot.

"What the hell do you want Vosque?" Zaeed demanded. "Can't you see we're too busy to deal with the likes of you?"

"Zaeed Massani, last I heard you were wallowing in self-pity and drowning yourself in alcohol. What changed? Oh I now, you decided to be a dancer. It'll sure give the men something to laugh about." Vosque's insults enraged the merc and judging by Zaeed's face it took all the control he had to avoid getting a bottle of alcohol and smashing it against Vosque's head.

"Zaeed, calm down," Shepard ordered as Ramirez held him back. Facing Vosque, Shepard tried his best to defuse the situation. "Look we don't want any trouble." Shepard tried explaining.

Vosque looked Shepard up and down, scanning him and seemed he was unimpressed with what he saw. "What are you? An Alliance soldier?" His face full of disgust "I think we should teach them how we welcomed Alliance types." He said to his men, who laughed and seemed to be preparing for a confrontation. Shepard saw dozens of mercs getting up and further enlarging Vosque's group. The bartender ducked behind the bar, and several people not wanting to get caught in the fight either took cover behind or underneath tables or scrambled out of the club altogether.

"Please we seek no confrontation, but if you force us we will act." Vosque's attention was redirected to Samara. Vosque appeared as if he was about to howl. He began circling the asari women.

"Well hello there. What is your name?"

"Samara. Asari Justicar."

Not being too intelligent, Vosque didn't understand the meaning behind the word. "Well Samara, I could think of a few uses for your mouth." Samara did not let the insult faze her. Centuries of dealing with arrogant people have left her with a high level of patience.

"I hope your men are good fighters." Gallick whispered in Shepard's ear as Vosque was momentarily distracted. Between Shepard's and Gallick's men, they only had eleven people. Vosque seemed to have twelve times the number.

"Yea, but we may need help," Getting on his comm, he waited a few seconds before Joker responded.

"_Normandy here."_

"Joker, I need backup on my location right now. Tell EDI to pinpoint our location and send backup right away." Shepard ordered in a hushed whisper.

"_Any problems boss?" _Joker seemed slightly worried.

"We're about to."

"_Roger that, sending back up right away. Whatever pickle you're in I hope you make it out alive._

"We're about to see."

Vosque was still circling Samara and kept his eyes glued to her figure. "So, what do you say baby? How would you like to come home with me?" He proceeded to do the stupidest thing he could; stopping to admire Samara's rear, he gave it a hard slap. The entire Normandy crew stood in silence, shock, and in fear.

"Oh shit, the poor fool is done for." Ramirez said. Shepard agreed with him.

Samara finally lost her patience with the man. She lifted him high into the air and threw him across the room. Vosque screamed as loud as he could, only silenced when his body broke through a table. He groaned in pain as his breath was literally knocked out of him. No one moved and Shepard suddenly realized the music stopped playing and everyone was staring at them.

"Get them!" A burly Blue Sun batarian ordered as he made the first move and lunged at Zaeed with a worn pocket knife. The veteran mercenary easily dodged the amateur blow and grabbed a nearby bottle and smashed it against the batarian's head, knocking him out cold. The brief fight was the catalyst for everyone else to attack.

Then all hell broke loose…

The entire club erupted into an orgy of violence. Hordes of mercs charged at the group, who fought back. Bodies collided with each other, bottles and chairs were used as weapons, and pieces of furniture were flung across the room. The scene matched the profile of Omega; chaotic and disordered.

Nyreen, using her biotics, threw some of the heavy pieces of furniture towards a close cluster of enemies trying to flank the group from the right. Most of them dove out of the way, but a slow vorcha was caught in the impact. He was left against the wall, his head bent at an unnatural angle. "Shepard, whatever you do don't use your weapons!" She warned.

"Why the hell not?" He asked as he ducked a punch from a merc and managed to punch her in the gut. He then kneed her in the face, knocking her out cold.

"Just trust me." She said as her entire figure was a bathed in glowing blue light, her teeth clenched and her eyes narrowed. Her every muscle was wound tight, straining against her bones. One arm was raised upwards holding up a couple of enemies, who struggled feebly in the zero-G. Her other arm held a large glowing ball of biotic energy, which was expanding. Suddenly the blue glow rippled like a wave as she shot her arm forward and sent the warp hurdling towards a large group of enemies. As if shot by a cannon, the group of enemies sky rocketed in every direction. She then threw the enemies, still held in the air, at the large pole in the center of the club. As the fire extinguished from her body, she once again looked for suitable targets, but Shepard could plainly see the dullness in her movements and the glazed look of fatigue in her eyes.

"Alright, Nyreen." He trusted her judgment. He then charged at the nearest merc, punching him in the face. A Krogan tried to throw a punch, but Shepard delivered a kick to the ribs followed by a strike to the face, which caused the krogan to slightly bend over. Shepard quickly punched the krogan in the stomach and then an uppercut. Dazed, the krogan couldn't keep up with Shepard's speed. He spun his body around and delivered a roundhouse kick, knocking the krogan out cold.

Samara stood circled by thugs unsure as to how they could approach the curved asari in front of them, Samara on the other hand had no qualms as she delivered several reave and wrap attacks. She used her biotics to threw clusters of enemies back, but more seemed to take their place. Seeing Nyreen vulnerable, Samara created a protective shield around them. Several large mercs banged on the barrier. Samara then rechanneled the barrier into a large shockwave at the horde, sending half a dozen of the group flying towards tables and poles. The ground shook as if a nearby earthquake had occurred. Only three managed to get back up again.

Zaeed seemed to be in his element as he flung himself into the fight and used dirty handed tactics with so much zeal that even the heartless scum of Omega balked at him. Such pauses proved deadly as Zaeed lashed a fist into a man's crotch resulting in a high pitched shriek before a chop the neck silenced the man. He then turned around and kicked an asari in the ribs followed by a DDT. A salarian tried kicking him; however he grabbed a hold of it and kicked the salarian in the groin followed by a jab to the face, knocking him onto the ground unconscious. He then took a glass of whiskey from the bar's counter and started drinking. He dodged just in time to avoid a punch from a woman. He grabbed a hold of her head and slammed it hard on the counter. "Alright who's next?" He said challenging anyone to take him on, still holding the bottle of whiskey in his hands. Luckily for him there was no shortage of volunteers. Gallick and his men seemed to follow Zaeed's style, bobbing and weaving then throwing a dirty punch or kick. A few of them used chairs and plates as weapons.

Ramirez stood ready as three enemies charged at him. Ramirez immediately threw a punch at the one in the middle, who did the same. Ramirez was able to deliver the blow first aimed at the man's chest knocking him back. He then jumped back as a turian on the right tried to kick him. Quickly he brought his knee up to a batarian's face on the left, knocking him over the side of a table. Ramirez repeated his first strike on the turian. Again Ramirez's reach allowed him to deliver the blow first, with the turian's fist only inches from his face. He sidestepped the punch and jumped as his brought his left fist down. It connected with the back stunned turian's head. The turian, refusing to go down, arched his hips as he tried to throw another punch. Ramirez sidestepped again and punched the exposed turian's ribcage and quickly followed up with a strike to the face. He could not believe the turian could absorb so much punishment. Using all his force, the turian tried again to deliver a strong blow. Ramirez, instinctively, crossed his arms. The Blue Suns merc managed to deliver the blow, however its intended target was blocked by Ramirez's forearms. The turian followed up with an uppercut to Ramirez's face. Thinking he got the best of the human, the turian tried to deliver a left hook. Ramirez rapidly recovered and used the turian's own momentum against him. Crouching, Ramirez ducked the blow and grabbed a hold of his arms and legs in a fireman's carry. He then threw the turian over his head and as he came down, Ramirez delivered a straight kick and sent the turian flying in the direction of the batarian, who was just recovering. He didn't have time to rest as the man he had struck first charged at him and tried to kick him. Ramirez quickly blocked the kick and both men threw a punch; each fist made contact with the other. Ramirez threw a right hook, which was blocked, but followed up with a punch to the man's stomach. He then arched his body counterclockwise and elbowed the guy in the face and brought the same arm around in a powerful hook and punched the man in the face again.

Seeing his enemies unconscious he took a moment to savior the victory. "Like a boss." His momentary victory was snuffed out as he was lifted into the air. "What the hell!?" It was then that he noticed an asari glowing blue. Suddenly, before she could fling him around the room, she let out a pained cry and collapsed onto the floor in a withering moaning mess. Ramirez was then dropped onto the floor. Mordin smiled at his handy-work and loaded his Omni-tool for another neural shock. A group of four tried to engage him, but they were too slow. Lighting quick, Mordin hit each thug in several pressure points around their bodies. They became momentarily paralyzed and fainted when Mordin delivered a large neural shock. He then continued walking across the chaos either neural shocking or injecting people with a strange fluid, which caused loss of awareness.

"You alright?" Shepard asked Ramirez, who was panting heavily.

"There is too many!" He gasped as he stuck a closing vorcha.

It was true, already most of Gallicks men were beat up pretty bad and Nyreen and Samara were using starting to tire through the heavy use of there biotics. Zaeed was doing the best by far, but he was starting to become overwhelmed. Mordin had to improvise, using makeshift weapons to even the odds. Sensing the groups were tiring the horde picked up their pace and began to press the advantage. Suddenly a human shriek was heard, but was cut short. Eyes snapped towards the scene as they saw the body of a man, his head twisted at a crooked angle, slumped on the ground. Behind the corpse stood Garrus, his eyes scanning the chaos. "What in the spirits is going on in here?"

"Garrus!" Shepard was never so happy to see the turian, though the happiness quickly left him when he only saw the turian standing in the door way. In less than a second, everyone went back to beating each other up.

Several Eclipse and Blue Suns mercs responded by charging at him. Two batarians, three raloi, and three salarians figured they could take the turian on. They were sadly mistaken. A batarian struck first, Garrus simply caught the punch and twisted the hand. He closed the distance with the batarian, kneeing several him times while simultaneously using his body as a shield. He threw the body at the group of mercs, throwing them back. A salarian recovered first and threw a right hook, but Garrus wrapped his arm around it. He punched the exposed salarian's torso. Simultaneously, he swept the mercs legs and punched him in the face. Garrus felt a kick connect with his gut and looked to his right to see a batarian female smirking.

"I don't normally punch women, but I'll make an exception just this once." He said coyly.

The batarian women became enraged and again kicked him. Garrus simply caught it and with immense force raised his leg and stepped on it. A loud crack, followed by a scream of agony was heard. Garrus then kicked a salarian in the thigh and threw her towards a raloi. She caught the female salarian, but was surprised when Garrus charged then jumped. In midair he delivered a drop kick sending the two falling down the steps towards the cold hard floor. In the chaos he failed to realize that a raloi, armed with a knife, was approaching from behind. The raloi lunged the blade towards Garrus' neck. The raloi was shocked when the blade was stopped mere inches from its target by a large four fingered orange hand. The raloi was then thrown across the cub hitting the upper balconies.

Garrus casually turned around to see Grunt standing in the doorway, eating several bags of chips. "Grunt, it's about time you got here."

Seeing that the fight was suddenly less one sided, a few mercs tried backing away. Vosque, who had at this point recovered, saw the massive figure of muscle approaching. "Tartarus, if you help us we'll pay you a hundred thousand credits!" Once he had finished the sentence, he found himself lifted up into the air by his collar and belt, turned upside down, and slammed onto the ground by Grunt.

It was then Shepard realized that a large cloaked figure, who up until this point was sitting in a corner, began to rise. It kept rising and rising until it was standing ten feet tall. Abandoning, the cloak, the shock on Shepard's face would have been almost comical had the situation been different. The huge mountain of muscle stomped towards the center of the bar calmly, cracking its fists.

* * *

**Omega **

**Afterlife **

**Balcony **

"Aria do you want us to step in?" The Patriarch asked her.

"Not yet, I want to see who wins." She replied.

Several of her guards stared at her as if she had grown a second head. Their expression was something that would've put a smile on her face if it was fear.

The Patriarch simply laughed. "You have a quad, Aria."

"Who do you think is going to win?" She asked passively. To her this was nothing more than a show. It was like an empress seeing her gladiators fighting for her favor.

"Ten thousand creds on the large group."

"I'll take those odds."

The Patriarch laughed again. "Be prepared to pay up."

"We'll see." She responded with a small smirk on her lips.

* * *

**Omega **

**Afterlife**

**Ground floor **

"A YAHG! SHEPARD THEY HAVE A FUCKING YAHG!" Ramirez cursed stepping back.

"FINALLY A CHALLENGE!" Ramirez couldn't believe his ears as the tank-bred krogan charged headlong like a force of nature into the fight roaring. Several combatants wisely sprang out of the way although a merc, a lightly dimmer than the rest, attempted to bring a shotgun to bear. The shot simply recoiled off Grunt's armor and the poor merc was simply run over; Grunt's weight crushing his body and causing his insides to squeeze out of the man.

Tartarus seeing the young krogan rushing towards him and turned to meet the threat.

"C'mon runt!" Tartarus growled, pounding his fists together.

Both mountains of muscles were surprised as they clashed: Tartarus because the smaller krogan had actually moved him and Grunt because his opponent was not sent sprawling. As the shock subsided the two giants did what they did best; hammer each other with their colossus sized fists until either their enemy was dead or they were. Tartarus clubbed Grunt's back and then kneed him in the face. Dazed, Grunt was unable to counter the yahg's, powerful punch. The force would have been enough to kill most krogan. Tartarus tried to punch Grunt again, but his time the young krogan was ready. Ducking, Grunt delivered an uppercut, a head butt, and a strike to the torso in rapid order.

It seemed the entire fight revolved around the pair and people on both sides disengaged to avoid coming into contact with the whirling fists and shifting mountains of colliding muscle. As the pair flew into the area Shepard was fighting he had to disengage from his opponents. His chest heaved heavily in an attempt to get enough oxygen for the fighting ahead. Tartarus managed to pick up the young krogan and threw him over the bar. Shepard, in a desperate attempt to assist Grunt, grabbed a nearby metal chair and swung it with all his strength.

_Baam! _The sound of the hit echoed through the club, but was suppressed in the endless fighting.

The impact didn't even faze the yagh, who turned his attention towards Shepard.

"I thought that would've worked." He said with a sheepish smile.

"Shepard, I got your back!" Ramirez charged and jumped high into the air. He grabbed onto the Yagh's back, who tried desperately to throw him off.

"Shit, shit, shit! This was a bad idea!" He yelled as he was flung around in the air. Finally the yagh grabbed a hold of Ramirez and flung him over his shoulders and straight onto the bar's counter. Under the immense force it collapsed revealing a shocked and frighten bar tender, who ran for the nearest exit. Ramirez however groaned in pain. "I knew I should've stayed on the ship."

The yahg once again focused his attention on Shepard, who began backing away from the large mountain of enraged muscle.

Before Tartarus could kill Shepard with his human head sized fists, a loud roar was heard. "I AM KROGAN!" Grunt screamed as he was taken over by the infamous blood rage.

Tartarus cranked his head to the left to see a mad krogan super soldier charging headlong. "Let's end this runt!" Tartarus challenged.

Expecting any normal krogan already taken by the blood rage to blindly charge head-on, Tartarus was ill prepared when Grunt rolled to the side and delivered a hammer blow to his knee. The sharp crack sounded as the joint snapped from the engineered krogan's fist. Most people would have given into the pain the krogan had just dealt out, however the impressive strength of the yahg allowed Tartarus to keep fighting. He tried targeting Grunt's waist, however Grunt easily managed to evade the attack. Grunt waited for the broken limb to cause the larger adversary to collapse and when it did, the ground shook as a deep resounding bang echoed through the place knocking over a few still standing bottles.

Shepard expected Grunt to finish his opponent off and Grunt would, just not the way Shepard had thought or considered possible. Grunt seeing the metal platforms attached to the large pole in the center of the club, ran over to it. Shepard was confused and wondered by Grunt was running away from a fight, but his question was soon answered as Grunt began climbing the 20 foot tall platform.

"Oh no." Shepard cursed.

"Oh no." Ramirez groaned.

Once Grunt reached the top of the platform, he looked around the bar and the massive chaos which engulfed it.

"TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY!" The shout caught everyone's attention and no one could take their eyes off the krogan, nor could anyone believe what he was about to do.

Grunt looked down at his target, who stared back in fear. The yahg desperately got up and tried stumbling away, pushing people and tables out of his way.

"TODAY GRUNT FLYS!" He roared. Following his epic declaration, from twenty feet in the air, the courageous krogan leaped of the scaffold with his arms spread out in a T-like formation. Everyone's mouths were hanged opened as they witnessed a once in a lifetime event. Grunt soared through the air like a majestic eagle. Time seemed to slow down in that epic moment as Grunt descended upon Tartarus. Unable to get far enough away, Grunt was able to reach the fleeing yahg. As soon as the young krogan, amplified by gravity, collided with the yahg's body every organ inside came spilling out as the floor literally broke under the massive weight and force. The patrons underneath, much like the ones above, were shocked to see a bloodied krogan standing over a mesh pile of yahg. It was a climatic end to a climactic battle.

"I AM KROGAN!" Grunt roared in victory.

Following his statement, silenced reined in. No spoke and no one knew what to say. The loud noises of fighting that once engulfed the room were a distinct opposite to the atmosphere that now enveloped the bar. Everyone was frozen in place.

"That was the greatest thing I have ever seen in my entire life." Ramirez whispered next to Shepard, who was still stunned.

Suddenly the noise of clapping echoed throughout the bar. Shepard turned in the direction of the noise to see an asari standing on a balcony. "That was a most impressive show, Shepard," Looking around she saw the state of her club. Everything was either broken or shattered in the brutal fighting. "But now I see I have a new problem and you were the cause of it."

'_Is she fucking kidding me!? I didn't start the fight.' S_hepard hollered in his head.

Aria motioned to her guards. They circled around Shepard's squad, weapons aimed. Before Shepard could equip his own weapon and talon stopped him.

"Shepard its okay, she just wants to talk to you." Nyreen gasped out, breathing heavily from the overexertion of using her biotics for such a long duration. Garrus walked over and kneeled beside her.

A push from the barrel of a gun caused Shepard to turn around. He saw a krogan smaller than Grunt standing behind him. "Aria wants to talk to you now! Move it all of you!" He growled.

Escorted upstairs by several armed guards, Shepard was about to meet the Pirate Queen of the Terminus, Aria T'Loak.


	17. Chapter 17 - Quaratine II

4-2-2184 0003 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**Omega **

**Afterlife **

**Balcony **

Afterlife, once considered the main 'tourist' attractions on Omega, was no reduced to what looked like an abandoned ghost town. Broken glass lay everywhere, there was hardly any furniture that hadn't been destroyed, and not to mention the giant sized hole in the middle of the club created by everyone's favorite krogan Grunt, who looked quite pleased with his work. There was even a few scattered bodies still laying on the floor, some were unconscious others…were not.

Afterlife apparently had no competition, as Shepard had learned. There weren't many clubs nearby. Probably because Aria didn't allow it.

"It's going to take a lot of credits to clean this mess, Shepard." Aria told him in a surprisingly clam voice. Shepard was expecting anger, but for someone who just had her club ransacked, Aria seemed quite pleased.

"I'll make sure all damages are covered." Shepard proposed.

He was dumfounded when Aria let out a laugh. "You think credits are the issue here?"

Again, Shepard was dumbfounded. "Is it not?" Behind him, Nyreen and Zaeed face palmed, wondering how Shepard could be any more ignorant.

"I have the credits to repair the club, Shepard." Seeing the confusion on his face, Aria continued "Your little spectacle has caused a blow to my reputation and is a slap to my control. Those mercs you fought, they'll think I've gone soft if I don't make an example out of you."

Shepard did not like where this conversation was heading. Before he could speak, Nyreen beat him to it. "But you won't" She said in a confident tone. Shepard wished he could say the same. His hand instinctively within reach of his holstered pistol

Again Aria laughed, this time at Nyreen's correct statement. "Normally I would, but in light of your past I'm willing to make an exception." She said with a smirk on her face.

"And that past would be what exactly?" Garrus asked, fishing for information. Nyreen sent Aria a glare, warning her not to continue the conversation.

"That's cute, Nyreen. You actually think you can intimate me on my station?" Looking at Garrus she gave him the information he was seeking. "Your little girlfriend wasn't always the noble turian she claims to be." Nyreen gave Aria a pleading look, whom just ignored it and continued. "At one point she not only worked for me, but also shared the same bed."

That was a boom shell on the team, Garrus especially. "Wait you're telling me that Nyreen and you were…were…" Garrus couldn't bring himself to finish the question and looked back and forth between Aria and Nyreen with wide-eyes.

"Yes, we were lovers. Goddess you're slow." Aria nonchalantly finished.

"Well this is all well and good, but you said you'd be making an exception." Zaeed said steering the conversation away from Nyreen's past and controversial partners.

Aria faced the veteran merc and nodded. "And I will." Getting up from her chair, she turned around to face the club. "I can't have people here questioning my rule and I certainly can't have any chance of revolt of occurring."

"So what are you proposing?" Shepard asked arms crossed.

"Killing you would be the fastest way of making sure everyone on Omega stays in their place, but it would only be temporary. Now if I personally ordered a band of mercs to cure the plague that has been having the locals worried then not only would I be seen as a generous ruler…"

"But you will also appear to be in control of those same people who ransacked Afterlife." Nyreen finished, knowing Aria all to well.

"Very good Nyreen, seems your detective skills still function." She said sarcastically.

"Consider it done." Shepard was about to turn to his team, before Aria stopped him.

"Not so fast, Shepard. I can't just have you running freely through my station, plus I need to make sure no one gets any ideas about attacking Afterlife." Looking at Shepard's large team, she decided to boost her own. "I'll take the mercs, the turian and krogan too." She said.

Shepard crossed is arms. "And what makes you think I'll just leave part of my team here?" He asked.

"You have a better place of putting them. The plague affects krogan and turians, it also affects humans, but I don't think that'll be stopping you. Plus you walk out of here you'd be walking straight into the cross hairs of Eclipse and Blue Suns. But if I keep them here, then they'll know you and I have a deal and they'll steer clear. Otherwise you won't last long on this station. Less than an hour and already you've seemed to have made more enemies than me. I don't know if I should be annoyed or impressed." Aria always made sure to hold all the cards in every situation and this time was no different.

Shepard, realizing he had no choice, reluctantly agreed. "Alright you'll keep Garrus and Grunt. But I expect them be returned to me in the same condition I'm giving them to you." Shepard warned. Looking back at his team, he reassured them or at least tried to. "Don't worry we'll make sure to get you guys out of this mess in one piece."

"HA! It's they who should be worried!" Grunt exclaimed, smashing his fist together. Garrus looked as if he didn't know who he should be afraid of more, the pirate queen of Omega or the mad krogan who not only defeated a Yagh, but managed to fly leaving a giant hole as a testament! Something Garrus, part of a bird species, had never seen any turian do. Deep down he felt a strange sense of shame.

"Don't worry Shepard. I'll take good care of them." Aria said as Shepard left. The reassurance did little to settle his anxiety.

After a long chat with Shepard, Aria sat on her sofa once again with a glass of Brandy. This alliance could solver her problems, but how long would it last? She faced her newly conscripted guards. The mercs didn't seem faze by the situation. The large krogan, who dwarfed even her patriarch, stared at the rest of her guards, who seemed to be paralyzed with fear. Aria wished she had a child just like Grunt. The turian, Garrus, was trying his best not to be caught in an awkward situation.

"So you and Nyreen used too…" Unfortunately Garrus avoiding an awkward situation was like a Grunt avoiding a fight, nearly impossible.

"Fuck? All the time." Aria bluntly stated, taking a sip of her Brandy.

Garrus coughed. "Well this is…awkward."

"Only for you." Aria rebutted. Personally she didn't care whether Nyreen was sleeping with someone else, she herself was fucking an asari Matriarch.

"Right." Garrus hoped Shepard would be quick with curing the station. Because he really wanted to be anywhere else, but here.

* * *

**Omega**

**Gozu District Entrance**

Omega was a big place, but also small. It had over 7 million people living on the station with a million of uninhabited maze-like paths spread all throughout the hollowed-out asteroid where one wrong turn would quickly end your life. Yet despite the large number of people the entire station was only just over 40 kilometers long, the same size as the Citadel with only half the number of people living on it.

Most of the spaceports were found around the center of the station, like the rest of the infrastructure. When Shepard approached the entrance to the Gozu district, he was glad he had a filter within his helmet. The stained walkway and refuse seemed to litter the corners. Three turian and two raloi Red Hand guards stood behind a sand bag, which had several heavy machine guns emplacements and a few drones.

It didn't take much convincing for the Red Hand mercs to let Shepard and his team in. Of the dozens waiting they were the only ones equipped with military grade weapons and armor. The fact that they were planning on curing the district didn't hurt either. In fact the mercs made a bet whether or not Shepard would succeed.

"A plague that can kill humans. Why is it we can never go anywhere nice?" Ramirez asked as the team stepped inside the quarantined district.

"That is something Garrus would've said if he was here." Nyreen replied.

A burst of from Zaeed's ARC5 rifle roared through the air.

"Tango down, Shepard," Zaeed confirmed, indicating with his finger over to where a dead Blue Suns batarian laid.

"Can't you go ten seconds without killing anyone?" Ramirez sarcastically asked.

"No," Was Zaeed's answer.

The two teams made their way through the ruined streets of Omega's quarantined ward. It appeared like a scene from one of those post-apocalyptic vids, bodies in the streets, fires burning for no particular reason, barricades set up long since unmanned. Houses were alternately locked down like fortresses or left wide open, windows broken and contents ransacked.

"My god, this place looks like a ghost town." Ramirez said as they passed several broken down buildings. "And to think people used to live here."

"People still do. The unlucky ones." Nyreen clarified.

"Let's just keep moving this place isn't-"Shepard began, before he was cut off by Mordin movements.

Moridn violently threw himself onto the ground. The harsh crack of a sniper round echoed through the derelict alley and a split-second later the team immediately reacted accordingly.

Samara and Nyreen created barriers around them, while Zaeed and Ramirez dived into cover. Some unknown instinct screamed at Shepard, leaping forward into a diving roll in response. A second later a bullet tore chunks from the steel plating of the ground a yard away, passing through the space Shepard's head had occupied earlier. Definitely snipers. A regular rifle wouldn't have had that much power behind a single shot. It wasn't good. There wasn't much cover in the opened street and Shepard wasn't in a hurry to test of his shields could stop several shots.

"Mordin!" Shepard called out watching the salarian drag Zaeed into the shadow of an old apartment complex. He looked to his left to find Ramirez prepping his grenade launcher with a smoke grenade. Ramirez fired and a few seconds later, the wide open street was obscured in a large cloud of grey smoke. Shepard and Ramirez seized the opportunity and followed Mordin through a shattered window, the frame worn smooth by time. They were followed by Nyreen and Samara just a few seconds behind them. The place they found themselves in looked like an old, broken down rectangular atrium, which was about as nice as you could get on Omega. It wasn't exactly shelter by Shepard's standards but it got them out of sight for a few seconds. The six of them hunkered down behind cover, Shepard and Ramirez behind a large receptionist desk, a solid old construction plated in tempered steel. It wasn't out of sight, but it was the only place close enough to be useful. Sure enough, another shot tore chunks from the floor beside the desk, sending tiny shrapnel ricocheting off Shepard's shields.

"Does anyone have eyes on where they're shooting from?" Shepard asked. Zaeed shook his head, but Mordin nodded and cradled his arm green blood seeping form a long piece of jagged metal in his forearm.

"Yes. They are on top of one of the old factories, about two blocks south. Two snipers. I couldn't see their race or insignia. Wonder if exposure to air makes me susceptible to the virus." Shepard blocked off Mordin's unnecessary musings.

"How sure are you on their numbers?" Zaeed asks, rolling his head up above the dilapidated window sill to check the empty street.

"Certain." Morin didn't grunt or brace himself as he ripped the shrapnel from his arm. The wound started to bleed again almost immediately but an application of medi-gel sealed the wound just as fast.

"How bad is it?" Shepard asked. The piece of metal being a considerable size was mostly dyed in Mordin's blood. If they were on the Citadel, he'd be in a hospital and probably confined to a bed. But being on Omega, he had no choice but to fight.

'_What a messed up place' _Shepard thought.

"I've been better," he admitted cheerfully. Shepard wondered what it would take to put the surprisingly durable salarian down. Mordin reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of binoculars, "I've also been worse. It's an interesting handicap."

'_A handicap! He considers being impaled by a shard of rust metal nearly half a foot long a handicap!?' _Shepard thought, knowing of several marines who would be screaming in agony, even with medi-gel.

Another shot slammed into the all of the atrium, a foot or two above their head.

"What do we do?" Nyreen asked.

"Assuming I can have a second to sight them, I am confident we can kill them," Mordin theorized. "Which may be difficult, because they have our location pinpointed."

Samara frowned. "An advantage we do not have. We will have to trick them into revealing their location."

Another sniper shot slammed into the wall less than a foot above Zaeed's head. "Can we please focus on more pressing matters?" He snapped angrily. "Like killing those arseholes!"

"Expect incoming infantry," Mordin summarized as he expected the snipers to relay their location to several mercenaries nearby.

Fuck. Pinned down by sniper fire, unable to retaliate, apparently with clean-up forces moving in. Then again, when had Shepard ever been in an advantageous position? Virtually never. From the moment he had ever fought, from Eden Prime to now he has always been the underdog and had always come out on top.

A round from the hidden snipers chose that moment to punch through the steel-plated counter, drilling right through their cover and ricocheting off Shepard's shields. The warm, protective feeling of his shields still held and the bullet deflected onto the ground.

Without the desk's steel plating, Shepard theorized his shields could take about three more rounds before they collapsed.

Mordin snapped up immediately, eyes glued to the binoculars. If it was a bolt-action rifle, he'll have a second to find the targets. If not, well Shepard hoped Mordin had high shield quality.

"I recognize the gun," Mordin announced happily, dropping back down as another round punches into the wall above his head. "Mantis rifles with tripods for extra stability. That suggests our assailants are of the Blue Suns."

"Aren't you just jolly about that." Ramirez retorted, finding it frustrating how Mordin could actually be cheerful after being impaled and being shot at.

Shepard tuned out Ramirez's remarks. No wonder the shot had so much power. That sniper bastard must be using one of those new platinum enhanced weapons. "With that much power, it has to be a thermal clip weapon," Shepard grunted. "How in the hell did the Blue Suns on Omega get their hands on a gun like that?"

"Probably given to them by the Hegemony." Nyreen answered.

"Well good thing I've packed this beauty," Zaeed grinned as he equipped his M100A sniper rifle. "Let's see them stand against this."

"We'll need a distraction. Any ideas?" Ramirez asked guardedly, uncomfortably aware of the practice of 'bait and shoot' in these kind of scenarios. Normally Alliance soldiers would use thermal vision to pinpoint targets, however the range on Alliance helmets wasn't very far and it was mostly designed for close quarters.

To answer his question, Mordin pulled out a sensor grenade, designed to allow Alliance and Salarian snipers to pinpoint targets. The only problem? They had to get close enough to throw the grenade and have it transmit the location of the enemy snipers.

"We can use this. Need someone who is fast." Mordin said as he stared at Ramirez. He become aware of everyone else doing the same.

Knowing what everyone else was thinking, Ramirez asked hopefully "Can I have a smoke grenade?"

"The lack of sight would only slow you down. Armor and shields should be enough to get you close enough to throw the sensor grenade." Mordin answered.

"You're sure of the model of the sniper rifles their using, their location, and what merc company they belong to, but you don't know if my armor and shields will be enough to absorb the rounds!?" He asked incredulously, his voice rising.

"I could create a biotic field to assist you in your endeavor." Samara proposed.

Ramirez clenched his fist. "If I don't make it; I just want to make this clear. I hate all of you." He said sarcastically as he unequipped his weapons and got ready to sprint through the street. Shepard knew this only came about from the situation; nevertheless he couldn't chuckle at his teammate.

Shepard smiled. "On my mark 3..2.."

More gunfire hammered into the front of ht old apartment building, sending lethal shards of synthetic glass flying into the ruined atrium. Most of them shattered against the wall, covering the bullets that hammered against their cover. Ramirez didn't wait a second longer. Taking advantage of the reload time of the sniper rifles, he sprinted out of the building and across the street, where he caught a glimpse of Blue Suns troopers picking their way across the uneven ground. Thankfully for Ramirez, Samara created a biotic field around him.

Being the center of attention, both the snipers and the Blue Sun troopers fired on him. With the increasing incoming fire and the further Ramirez got, it became difficult for Samara to hold the biotic field. Thankfully, Ramirez was able to jump right into an abandoned sky car in the center of the street just as the biotic field vanished. Unfortunately for him and his team, he was still too far away to deploy the grenade. "Shepard I have five Blue Suns firing on me. About thirty meters from your position. I could really use some help." One thing was certain, his cover would have to be strong if he was to last.

"_How bunched up are they?" _Shepard asked through the radio. Now that Ramirez had tagged them, he could see them on his radar without looking. With a flick of his fingers he transferred the data to Shepard.

"Three in the center, one on each flank. Even the ones in the center are too spread out to catch, though." They've obviously been trained to fight biotics. Any closer and they'd risk getting caught in a lift field all together. Two of them, maybe, but then they'd be exposed to the rest.

"_Don't underestimate me," _Samara warned, speaking through the radio. From the sky car Ramirez saw a blue comet erupt from the atrium, winging towards the mercenaries. The mercenaries scattered at the sight of it, though they only managed a few steps before the homing projectile caught them. Samara's biotics blossomed into a dark Singularity, a vortex of gravity with a wider area than anything he'd seen before. All three mercenaries staggered and stumbled in the gravity of the miniature black hole, in seconds they were brought from a full sprint of mercs to useless panicking and flailing in the air.

"Damn, Samara," Ramirez whistled appreciatively. "Now if you guys could get the last two on the edge." Samara's ultra-wide construct didn't quite snare them, but even so it did make them stumble. A moment later Ramirez heard burst of fire from Shepard's MX and Nyreen's Phaeston rifles and both mercs went down.

Good thing Ramirez didn't keep his head out too long as a sniper round aimed at him surged through the air and impacted the ground, sending a small amount of dust in the air. There was no time to think as Ramirez sprung from the sky car and ran the last few stretches of distance between him and the snipers. Two sniper rounds impact his shields, depleting them to half strength. He vaulted into cover and once his shields were recharged, sprinted towards the factories and threw the grenade. Ramirez tried to run into cover, but out of the corner of the factory appeared a turian Blue Sun merc and raised his rifle letting off one accurate burst, the heavy bullets striking against Ramirez's shields inches away from his forehead. He responded by firing his M5 Beta pistol. The rounds fired at high velocity, slammed against the metallic armor of the turian. The turian fell just as he heard two familiar shots from a M100A. The loud roar crackling through the air like a beast as the bullets soared towards their targets.

"_The snipers are no longer a problem." _ Zaeed announced over the radio. The adrenaline in Ramirez's disappeared just as three more Blue Suns mercenaries arrived and pointed their weapons at him.

'_An idiot for standing out in the open.' _ He thought as his reflexes took over and trained his pistol on the targets. Even though in his mind, he knew he was outgunned, Ramirez fired his pistol while simultaneously running towards cover.

Almost immediately one of the three mercenaries dropped onto the ground, crumpling like a marionette with severed strings. In the instant before he hit the ground, Ramirez saw a massive hole through his torso.

'_That's interesting.' _ Ramirez thought as he dove into cover.

Another ear-splitting crack echoes through the street, another mercenary dropped with half a head.

'_Very interesting.' _

The last merc was lifted into the air and drilled with numerous rounds.

On his radar, he saw four allies approaching from his right. He turned his head to see Samara, Mordin, Nyreen, and Shepard approaching. Ramirez let out a sigh of relief.

"_You're welcome." _Zaeed said.

"Never again!" Ramirez protested, taking his weapons from Mordin. A few moments later, Zaeed arrived.

"So how far until we reach the hospital?" Ramirez asked, hopeful the distance between them and the only possible safe heaven they might have in the district was small.

"A long long long way, Ramirez." Shepard answered. Ramirez seemed to deflate a bit, more out of comic relief than sorrow.

"Well then let's get a move on." Shepard was surprised when Ramirez took point without complaint or orders.

"Shepard you coming?" The sound of Ramirez's voice brought Shepard out of his thoughts.

"Yeah." He answered as he jogged to catch up to his team.

As they made their way through the district, the team had run across a few random pockets of survivors, directing them to follow in their destructive wake to reach the clinic on the lower level that as their original destination. However, that was four hours ago. After a few brief firefights, Shepard had ordered his team into an abandoned bank. Originally it wasn't, however after taking care of the Blue Suns who had previously occupied the building, things have gotten quieter. 'Day' and 'night' are fairly arbitrary descriptions on Omega, but people needed a routine. It was four in the morning, Citadel time, and Shepard could see the team starting to suffer from lack of sleep. With the makeshift barricades and fortifications, Shepard had allowed a team a few hours to catch up on some sleep.

"Eclipse occupied sections will be heavily guarded," Shepard noted blandly, projecting a translucent set of blueprints from his omni-tool. There was only a few blocks separating the nearest Eclipse base and Shepard's team.

"Problem is we don't know their numbers." Ramirez put in. Shepard frowned, clearly not liking the idea of going in blind.

"We are a bit short on manpower for a proper incursion," Mordin noted critically. "And we know Eclipse operates with mechs for added firepower.

"But for a stealth operation, six isn't unmanageable," Ramirez countered, reminiscing the time on Virmire where Liara, Wrex, and him infiltrated a geth outpost. Ramirez thought how Wrex was doing uniting the krogan clans.

"True," Mordin mused, examining Shepard's layout of the area. "Though we don't know how much firepower they are storing the base. We don't know where their communications are centered either."

"We could try sneaking past it." Shepard proposed.

"Risk Eclipse cutting off any chances of retreat." The ex-STG operative responded.

"We'll we have two biotics, four soldiers, and a doctor/medic/espionage expert. There has to be some way for us to get in close." Ramirez said, eyeing the layout intensely.

Mordin smiled at the many titles he held. "This entrance seems like the best option," Mordin suggested, magnifying the location on the blueprint, illustrating Mordin's proposed route. "If we can get in without raising the alarm, we should be able to make it to this vantage point without much problem." It looked solid, but the guards outside were still a problem.

"The paths of the patrols are set. Aside from the watch guard stationed on the roof, there is little long-distance surveillance. If we can remove the guard there, the other eight on the ground will be much easier to bypass." Shepard said.

"So that's a sniper's job I guess," Ramirez said eyeing the snoring merc in the corner.

"Yep, but we don't want to alert the base so Nyreen would be better for the job. If she misses and the guard becomes a threat, Zaeed can take him out." Shepard replied.

"Alright let's go. Mordin and I will infiltrate the base. You and Samara move cover us and Nyreen can provide over watch." Ramirez proposed.

With a nod of his head, Shepard woke the rest of the team up and explained the details of the plan. Once they were all informed, Ramirez and Mordin moved ahead with Samara and Shepard not too far behind. Nyreen and Zaeed had their snipers trained on the guard stationed on the roof. Mordin threw a sensor grenade, revealing the locations of several guards.

"Mordin?" Ramirez whispered through the team's private channel.

One silenced shot later, the ex-STG operatives replies. "Sentry eliminated. The path is clear, maintaining over watch."

No one said anything, but the team reacted as if they had a telepathic link. Mordin and Ramirez lead the way, while Shepard and Samara maintained their distance from the camp covering the infiltration team's escape route.

As the Ramirez and Mordin approached a locked door via holo-lock, Mordin crouched next to the lock. It only took him a few seconds to break the system and the reinforced steel door slid open. Ramirez pulled the door shut behind them. The two of them move through as fast and as quietly as they could. Cut off from Omega's red luminescence, they were left in darkness. On his radar, Ramirez saw Samara and Shepard moving towards a better vantage.

"No lights?" Ramirez whispered, feeling his way towards the ladder to the upper level, instead finding an internal door. He was right. Even if it's night, total darkness is taking it a little too far. Luckily for him his Alliance had night vision and in a second, the black darkness changed to back how it would look if there was light, though a bit fuzzy.

"The barracks should be behind this door." Mordin replied, picking the lock. Once he was through Ramirez saw six rows of bunk beds. Mordin sneaked into the room and with expert skill planted a motion triggered P-10 charge. Since Mordin and Ramirez had IFFs the charge wouldn't detect their movements.

"Next we need to find where the communication center is." Mordin whispered as he led Ramirez through the bunks, which had several sleeping guards.

Opening the other door within the barracks, they came upon a large square warehouse, which had a stockpile of weapons, narcotics, and tainted eezo. There was a guard patrolling, however the shroud of darkness prevented the salarian merc from seeing Mordin or Ramirez.

Ramirez and Mordin look at each other, knowing what the other was thinking. Ramirez equipped his MP12S and kept a watch for any other guards in the area, while Mordin crept on the unsuspecting guard. Mordin expertly tripped the salarian, who fell over flat on his face, and aimed his weapon directly over the back of stunned guards head.

"I will make this quick. Tell us where your communication center is and I'll knock you out. Or lie or resist and I kill you. Your life matters little to me and the station would be a better place without you so think carefully before responding. Do not worry you have all the time you require." Mordin said in a slightly cheery tone.

"I-its right next… to the stairs… on your right. You can't miss it. I've told you what you wanted please let me go." The salarian pleaded.

With a strike to the back of his head by Mordin, he fell into unconsciousness. "And for that we are grateful. Sleep well and apologize for the headache you'll have when you wake."

Like the salarian mentioned, the door to the control center was right next to the flight of stairs leading down to the basement. Mordin kneeled to pick the lock. As if on cue, a guard opened the door from the inside with a flashlight, blinding Mordin's sensitive eyes.

"HE-" Before the woman could finish her sentence, Ramirez fired his MP12S, drilling holes through her armor. At close range the MP12S was extremely deadly. Blood leaked from the holes making it seemed as the woman was a life sized model of Swiss cheese. However before the woman even impacted the floor, Ramirez stormed into the room, where he found another guard.

Before he could react, Ramirez fired anther burst from his MP12S. The Eclipse merc had barriers and shields, probably as the result of his position as a squad leader. Nevertheless, Ramirez unloaded an entire clip, which was only able to drop both layers of protection. By this time, the guard was alert and made a reach for his gun. He would have been able to fire his gun, had Ramirez not been charging at him and hit the merc across the face with the butt of his submachine gun.

"Mordin you alright?" Ramirez asked.

Rubbing his eyes with his hands, Mordin replied "Yes of course." Walking over to the terminals, Mordin began hacking into it. The salarian doctor started typing, "Sloppy," he declared distastefully as he hacked into the network. The various screens showed the guts and grinds of the computer operating systems, which to Mordin seemed to appear as a drawing from a kindergartner. A few seconds later, the various screens showed two words, "Communications offline."

"Just a thought, couldn't we have asked one of the guards for the password to the network?" Ramirez asked Mordin.

"Of course, but it wouldn't be as much fun." He replied.

"Right. Well we're done so let's go." Both Mordin and Ramirez retraced their steps from the warehouse, through the barracks, and back outside where they met up with Shepard and Samara.

"That was quick." Shepard said with raised eyebrows.

"Surprised we didn't have to shoot the whole base?" Ramirez asked.

"No, I knew you'd get the job done. Now, Nyreen." A suppressed shot soared through the air and impacted the guard on the roof top.

"_He's down, Shepard."_ Nyreen responded over the radio.

"Well that takes care of our rear. I imagine it'll be hours before they realize we've been through here." Projecting a blueprint of the area, Shepard marked the location of the clinic. "Well that's only about an hour by walk. We can cut the time down if half if we jog the way there."

"But we risk making a mistake." Samara countered.

"We don't have a choice. The more we wait the more innocents die. Let's go." Shepard ordered leading his team.

* * *

**Omega **

**Clinic **

**Auxera District**

"Ah, finally succeeded. This Vaccine should remove all traces of virus. Best way to cure plague is render it airborne. Need to distribute through environmental controls," said a salarian doctor.

"Dr. Heplorn, we have reports that the Blue Suns and Eclipse have taken control of the environmental facility. We can't get in," said in medical garb.

"Doctor, more refugees are coming in!" called someone from the front of the office.

"Need to look after current patients. Need more help." He looked around for his radio. "Garm, can you spare some vorcha and varren to retake the environmental facility!"Maelon yelled into the radio.

Over the distant sound of gunfire, Garm was able to reply "Not unless you have more mechs to hold this place!" the krogan yelled. The sound then reverted to static, either the bullet had shot the radio or...the hospital had lost its protection.

"What do we do?"His assistant, Daniel asked.

"I can't do anything. Too many need us here, and we don't have the manpower to spread the damn cure! Hopefully this madness will end soon." Maelon replied.

"How do we distribute the cure?"

"We'll worry about that later. Right now we have to first take care of the sick patients . Once we've treated the ones here, we'll figure out how to get the environmental controls. Now take this cure and start injecting it into the patients." The doctor ordered. His assistant did as he was told.

'_At least my old professor wouldn't be able to deal with this nightmare and thankfully I never have to see him again.' _Even in the hellish nightmare Maelon found himself in, the thought brought a smile to his lips as he continued working.

* * *

**Omega **

**Gozu/Auxera District Border**

An Eclipse merc screamed as she floated in midair. One shot from Zaeed and a corpse was floating instead.

Samara released her concentration on the dead merc and readied her own weapon on another target that was firing wildly in Nyreen's direction. A burst from her M99 Saber put the human engineer down. After they bypassed the Eclipse base, Shepard had the two teams separated once they reached an intersection. One was a series of catwalks and paths that overlooked the next area and the other ran through the now Eclipse-infested streets. Bravo team took the high route, while Alpha team took the lower one.

"_Shepard, I see an ammo dump next to their barricade. Nyreen can't Overload it from here," _Ramirez said.

"Perhaps we can incinerate?" Mordin proposed.

"Do it." Shepard ordered.

"Incinerate deployed." Mordin called out.

The explosion destroyed the makeshift barricade the Eclipse troopers were using, scattering and disorienting them. Nyreen and Zaeed used the opportunity to pick off the last of the targets.

"That went well." Shepard said. The sounds of gunfire were easily heard in the distance as Shepard lead Alpha team through the streets.

"_Sounds like the Blood pack is putting up one hell of a fight," _Ramirez said.

"_Let's just hope they're first instinct isn't to shoot at us first," _Zaeed said, as he slowly followed Ramirez down the catwalk they were on, Nyreen close behind.

Holding back, Shepard, using hand signs, signaled for Ramirez to head towards the plaza up ahead and relay the opposition.

Ramirez led his team forward through the catwalks and walkways, stopping once they had a view of the scene. "_I see four Red Hand mercs and a lot of vorcha. Eclipse seems to have a lot more." _He declared as he did a quick head count. "_Want us to thin their ranks out a bit?" _He asked.

"What are our guys using?" Shepard inquired.

"_Flamethrowers and shotguns mostly, with a few assault rifles. They don't stand a chance in long range. Eclipse pretty much has medium range weapons and a lot of mechs. I see three YMIR-class." _Ramirez responded.

"Take them out." Within seconds of the order, ear-cracking noises were heard as Bravo team used their long range weapons to their advantage.

"They're going to need help. Let's hurry." Shepard ordered as he gripped his MX carbine close as he ran.

Once Shepard arrived on the scene his eyes danced around the battlefield below. Hordes of vorcha and varren bolstered the defender's number, but they seemed to be rapidly declining as a result of the YMIR mechs firepower. One krogan was defiantly firing at a few Eclipse operatives threatening to overwhelm him.

"Zaeed assist the krogan, Nyreen try to drop the shields on the YMIR mechs, Mordin see if you can help her. Ramirez hit clusters with a 67mm grenade. Samara, you and I are going to try to relieve some of the pressure." A series of affirmatives echoed through the teams' radio as they performed their assigned tasks.

Zaeed fired his M100A letting out three shots, the ear piercing noise engulfed the battlefield as body parts were blown off once the round made contact with their intended targets. After the first two, Eclipse vanguards began targeting Zaeed. Luckily he was able to give the krogan enough time for him to get into cover, who returned the favor. Throwing a lift attack, the krogan biotic concentrated hard as the two vanguards were hanged helpless in the air. Zaeed promptly finished them off and they were dropped onto the ground missing their heads.

Nyreen and Mordin used a combination of sniper fire and tech attacks to weaken the mechs shields, but they prove too durable. Throwing two EMP grenades, Mordin was able to disrupt the shields of the nearest one, followed by an incinerate attack. Nyreen finished it off with multiple shots from her Krysae rifle. The remaining two focused on them, their twin automatic mass accelerator cannons suppressing Nyreen and Mordin.

"_Shepard we can use some help!" _Nyreen exclaimed as she hid behind a large metal crate high above Shepard's position. Massive amounts of rounds being stopped by the surprising resilient crate.

"Samara, on me." Shepard ordered as he jumped into the fray. During his charge, three varren charged out and bit down a salarian allowing two vorcha to close the distance and exuberantly fire into the Eclipse engineer.

Whatever resistant the Eclipse could've mustered up was soon diminished as a grenade launched from Ramirez's MX carbine detonated in the middle of their position. Troopers, operatives, vanguards, and even a commando were embedded with shrapnel from the explosion. Many more were disoriented, but they recovered quickly with the aid of their remaining mechs. With his MX carbine ready, Shepard was ready to take out the remaining Eclipse troopers.

"Here they come." Samara said out loud, just before pulling the trigger on her Acolyte pistol and killing a trooper that rounded the corner from an alley.

"They're coming from the left!" Shepard warned. He began firing into the enraged Eclipse mercs as they charged towards his position. The two YMIR mechs, aided by six LOKI mechs compensated for the lack of numbers.

He needn't have bothered worrying about the surviving Eclipse mercs as a shotgun blast rang out and quickly killed a human engineer. The Blood Pack, under the leadership of a krogan, joined the fray. "Let's give our new friends some help." The krogan called out as he suppressed the reinforcements pouring in from the alley.

Shepard merely glanced at the krogan running towards the Eclipse line, followed by hordes of vorcha and varren. An Eclipse sniper shot a vorcha wielding a flamethrower. The explosion causing three vorcha to be engulfed in flames. The Eclipse sniper was killed, ironically by another sniper, Zaeed.

Another grenade launched by Ramirez reduced the shields on the YMIR mechs. One of them fired a missile launcher towards his direction. "_SHIIITTT!" _He yelled as he ran back and dived, the blast barely missing, but still charring his armor. Three LOKI mechs began firing on his position. "_Shepard, I'm exposed here!" _

"Nyreen target the LOKI mechs, Zaeed you have the YMIRs. Samara keep the Eclipse mercs off of me and Mordin, we'll try to help Zaeed. GO!" Shepard once again delivered orders, making effective changes to the lethal combination to the team. Nyreen targeted and destroyed a few of the LOKI mechs. Zaeed was able to drop the shields on YMIR mech, before he was targeted and suppressed. Samara begin delivering Reave attacks to keep the Eclipse mercs at bay, while Mordin delivered incinerate attacks to the exposed mech's armor. Shepard switched weapons, equipping his M35 shotgun. Firing three rounds into the weakened mech, Shepard was able to deplete the armor, but the YMIR fell back covered by its companion mech.

"Samara, lift the exposed mech. I have an idea." Shepard said. Samara did as she was asked and lifted the mech, now with its shields and armor gone it was susceptible to lift. "Ramirez, launch another grenade."

"Got it, boss." Ramirez launched another grenade, hitting the mech directly and causing it to explode and collapse above the more heavily armed mech, which was suppressing Shepard's and Mordin's position. The result was both mechs and anything surrounding it being destroyed. With the Blood Pack and Red Hand mercs assisting, it didn't take long before the remainder of Eclipse mercs were wiped out.

Shepard, with his shotgun ready, searched the area for anymore threats. He found none, and walked over to a krogan who was having a conversation on the radio.

"WHAT?! You have to be kidding me! Fine I'll be there." Turning his attention to his men the krogan delivered orders. "Everybody back to the hospital. The Blue Suns and Eclipse are going to commence an attack!"

"Wait, you're heading to a hospital. We're going there too." Shepard stated.

The krogan analyzed Shepard and then the rest of the team. "Fine you can come along to. Don't expect a cakewalk. The hospital is nearby. Name's Garm by the way."

Garm lead both teams back to the clinic and thankfully it was nearby.

* * *

**Omega**

**Auxera District **

**Maelon's Clinic**

"Armed guards and mechs ahead," Ramirez reported as they entered the clinic.

Shepard held back a sigh of relief as they finally reached their destination. While IED's were obviously set for the mercenaries, Shepard had no idea how they would detonate in their presence. They weren't mercs, but they sure weren't civilians either, which meant it was better to be safe than sorry. After crossing the makeshift minefield, the squad went down some stairs and through another hallway to see a human with no obvious merc affiliations standing guard with two LOKIs.

"Holster you weapons." Shepard called out to the team. The guard seemed to relax as the group holstered their weapons.

"So who's the doctor here?" Shepard asked Garm as they bypassed the makeshift security checkpoint/office.

Garm pointed in the direction Shepard would find the doctor and immediately began ordering his troops around and making fortifications. Shepard had Bravo team help with the defensive efforts.

Shepard moved through the next door and into the waiting room of the clinic. Stepping inside, it looked about what he was expecting. Dirty, cramped, and full of refugees looking to escape the merc war outside. The majority of the people in the room were mostly turian and human, but there was a fair amount of batarians and krogan there as well. The refugees all seemed to be doing fine, clustered in one area of the waiting room and talking animatedly.

"Looks like the doctor has come through for these people." Samara commented as she looked over the area Shepard was observing.

"Good thing too. Though worried about lack of guards. Would've personally handled things more differently." Mordin said as he looked around the clinic.

Shepard walked over to the counter where two humans, a man and a woman dressed in medical uniforms, were working and managing the waiting room. "I'm looking for the doctor."

"In the back, door on the right," The female receptionist distractedly said. Shepard nodded in thanks before stepping around two more LOKIs and walked down the hallway lined with cots filled with plague victims and causalities of the mercs outside. Some of the patients were even Eclipse and Blue Suns mercs, wounded or sick. Each was watched over by a LOKI mech.

"Doctor…we're running low on cipoxidion," a voice said in the room Shepard was approaching.

"Use malanarin. Plenty on hand. Almost as good. Causes cramping in batarians, supplement with butermerol," another voice rapidly answered.

"Wait I know that voice!" Mordin exclaimed, quickly bypassing Shepard and entering the examination room. Shepard soon followed.

"Maelon?" Mordin asked, more out of shock than relief.

Maelon cringed at the sound of the familiar voice and looked up to see his old professor staring at him with wide eyes, well wider than usual.

"Professor _Solus._" Maelon hissed.

"Two two know each other?" Shepard asked clearly noticing the tension in the air.

Mordin nodded and Maelon just glared at him. "Maelon was a student of mine years ago. Worked on genophage modification with me."

"Which I've since been glad of never having to see your face again!" Maelon retorted.

"We had many disagreements over the ethical issues of the project." Mordin explained.

"Ethical!?" You call condemning a race to extinction an ethical issue?" His former student asked in a deathly whisper all too aware of more than a few krogan in the clinic.

"We never saw eye to eye. After the project Maelon disappeared."

"More like you became even more obsessed with your work."

"Projections were clear! Modification guaranteed peace for the galaxy!" Mordin defended.

"Ohh I can see the peace alright." Maelon retorted sarcastically. "Just look around at the peace you've delivered Professor." Maelon clapped to add insult to injury. "Bravo, I could have never done better myself." He chastised.

Mordin, in a rare display, lost control and punched his former student in the face, sending him stumbling back. "MORDIN!" Shepard yelled in shock.

"I am the very model of a scientist salarian. I've studied species turian, asari, and batarian. I'm quite good at genetics (as a subset of biology) because I am an expert (which I know is tautology). My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian, I am the very model of a scientist salarian." Mordin sang to himself quietly and rapidly as he tried to calm himself down.

"Mordin are you alright?" Shepard asked his voice full of concern.

"Yes, Shepard. Apologize for losing control.

"_Shepard we have company we might need you over here." _Ramirez said over the radio.

"Shepard go. Maelon and I will help finalize the cure. They'll need backup." Mordin said.

"Finalize? In case you haven't seen Professor the cure is ready." Maelon said, angered that Mordin thought his cure wasn't ready.

Mordin shook his head. "On the contrary. Your cure suppresses the disease, not destroy."

In that instant the power to the clinic shut down, ending any retort Maelon was about to deliver. "Fine you can help." Maelon said through gritted teeth.

Mordin nodded his head and the two salarians got to work, though they argued more than they cooperated. Shepard and Samara ran out of the room to assist Ramirez and the rest of the defenders.

* * *

**Omega**

**Auxera District **

**Maelon's Clinic Entrance **

"Get ready…here they come!" Garm shouted as the barricades they had constructed were bulldozed, by Silverback jeeps, the choice for transportation for mercenaries on the ground. Yells of Eclipse and Blue Suns mercs were heard through the series of flames caused by several grenades. The mercs were launching a full on assault on the clinic the same route Ramirez had come through earlier with the team.

As soon as the first merc was visible, Ramirez fired his MX, cutting the body in several places. The smoke from the flames made visibility horrible; however the thermal vision in his helmet made it a whole lot easier to target enemy troops. Hundreds of bullets whizzed by his head as the mercs attempted to shoot either him or anyone near him. He along with the rest of the few dozen defenders bunkered down behind several makeshift fortifications. Sandbags, metal desks, crates, sheet metal, even a few beds served as protection from the heavy volley of enemy fire.

"If you see them moving in clusters, throw frags!" Ramirez yelled over the heavy noise of gunfire. Several mercs were gunned down, by him, his team, or by Garm's men, but the mercs just kept coming. Nyreen operated a heavy gun emplacement and was suppressing the mercs advance, but they were too many to stop. Zaeed fired ARC5 rifle at several Blue Suns Centurions with their improved shields made them tougher targets. A Red Hand merc beside him was shot, his blood spilling onto Zaeed's helmet.

"We need a medic!" Zaeed yelled.

Garm showed impressive leadership in the chaos ordering and aligning his troops according to the situation. Red Hand snipers were position in the back, while Blood pack Boom-squads prevented them from being suppressed. Krogan warriors were placed near the front where they could direct the troops. In front were the experienced mercs with medium range firepower and medical supplies. Several vorcha and mechs help supplement the defenders numbers.

'_Where the hell is Shepard?' _Ramirez thought as he as a round razed his neck.

"We have heavies!" Garm shouted as several Eclispe and Blue Suns heavies approached and fired on the defenders. The majority of casualties were mostly vorcha and mechs with a few human and raloi casualties.

Layers of bodies were stepped on, as the Blue Suns and Eclipse troopers continued the suicidal frontal charge. From the lack of experience they were showing, Ramirez figured these were just the 'expendable' troopers, new and ill-equipped. They yells of agony from wounded soldiers from both sides were drowned out by the wound of gunfire. Ramirez saw more limbs than he did bodies. He saw one a human bend over and pick up his severed leg, before being gunned down. The blood of mixed races reached Ramirez's ankles. He was thankful that his helmet had filters, prevented him from smelling the horrible stench. Firing his MP12s, he wondered when Shepard was going to arrive.

Suddenly an Eclipse heavy fired on the ceiling directly above Ramirez, causing debris to fall and impact his head hard. He was knocked towards the ground as he saw several defenders being gunned down, the heavies continuing to inflict heavy casualties. His vision became cloudy as he seemed to be witnessing events in slow motion. He heard yelling, but couldn't make out the words. He knew what was happening, but couldn't force his body to do anything. It was as if he was momentarily disconnected from the world while being a part of it at the same time.

The Blood Pack Boom squads and Red Hand grenadiers tried to counter with their own heavy weapons, but they were just too outgunned. Ramirez saw a downed raloi Red Hand fire an ARC rifle as a turian commander tried to gun him down. The Blue Suns commander was vaporized as a blast of electricity exited the raloi's rifle. The raloi got back up and retreated back to the second barricade and continue fighting.

"Everyone fall back!" Garm shouted as he killed several groups of mercs.

"C'mon you buggers." Ramirez looked to his left to see Zaeed equipped with a mini-gun and mowing down large numbers of Eclipse mercs. Zaeed was bleeding from his right knee and not too shocking as he was completely exposed wielding the large weapon.

Suddenly, Ramirez felt a hand on the back straps of his armor and a second later he was being dragged. Ramirez had no clue who it was, but regaining control of his arms he raised his MP12s and began firing on approaching mercs. In front of him, several Blue Suns and Eclipse heavies were lifted into the air and Ramirez gladly fired multiple rounds into their bodies.

Several mercs tried jumping over the destroyed barricade, but were soon mowed down as several Red Hand mercs literally ran out in the open and took a kneeling position. Ramirez didn't know if it was to cover his own retreat or not, but it made him feel guilty when he saw them go down from multiple rounds.

Suddenly he was lifted over the second barricade and it was then that he saw the face of one John Shepard. "Don't worry I've got your back Ramirez." Shepard shouted into his ear.

He saw Shepard apply some medi-gel to his wounds and Ramirez began regaining his senses a bit. Shepard offered him a hand and Ramirez accepted graciously. Ramirez didn't have a second to rest as all round him people continued fighting and dying. One dead merc laid next to Ramirez, blood oozing onto the floor with several more joining him.

"I need you back in the fight!" Shepard yelled over the gunfire.

"I'm good and ready, Shepard." He replied.

"Unleash the varren!" Garm yelled, firing a Striker assault rifle, though it could be considered more of a rapid-fire shotgun than an assault rifle.

Cages, which were lined on the side of the walls, were all opened and hordes of ferocious varren charged the Blue Suns and Eclipse mercs. They were chewed, ripped apart, and torn to shreds. Several colors of blood mixed with each other as limbs were literally swallowed. Several varren were gunned down and the rest crawled into ducts in the wall. Shepard suspected those varren were trained to hunt and kill.

"AHAHAHA! FROM TUCHANKA WITH PAIN! Garm shouted in excitement. "Take the wounded into the clinic and tell Maelon we'll need the militia and any remaining mechs." Garm ordered to a turian who was fighting with them.

The Normandy crew fought tooth and nail, ensuring vast amounts of casualties. Shepard and Ramirez were in the thick of the action watching each other's backs and killing dozens of troopers, operatives, commanders, and commandos like an army of two. Zaeed was near them though he had to stay back a few meters as he was completely exposed firing the mini-gun. Garm was near him firing his own weapon. It seemed Zaeed had made a new friend as both warriors stood their ground. Nyreen was directing whatever long range support they had. A few Red Hand mercs deployed combat drones to harass the enemy. Samara grouped whatever little biotics there were and combined them to act as biotic artillery.

"Throwing frag!" Shepard called out as he equipped and primed a grenade. He then threw it and watched as it took out an Eclipse squad.

Near him three mercs were lifted into the air and then slammed down and killed with a wrap attack. "Shepard, we have Eclipse vanguards." Ramirez warned.

"I know." Shepard got on the team private channel. "Nyreen can you focus on the biotics?" Shepard asked.

"_Yes, but that will leave you opened to the LOKI and YMIR mechs approaching_." Nyreen replied.

"Well they're the least to our problems right now."

"_Affirmative." _Nyreen responded, redirecting her soldiers to target the Eclipse vanguards.

The noise of wheels hitting pavement swallowed the noise of gunfire and Ramirez knew immediately what it was. "MAKO!" Ramirez shouted as a curved rectangular six wheeled vehicle colored in blue erupted from the smoke. The Mako was part of the Future-war program, which sought to replace the aging Grizzly in the field. It eventually lost to the Prowler for its improved carrying space, better weaponry, and improved maneuverability. However, that didn't stop several private military corporations or surveying companies from buying the Mako. The Mako fired its co-axial machine gun killing a few vorcha and depleting Ramirez's shields.

"Looks like it doesn't have enough room to fire its main cannon." Shepard reasoned, noticing the small space the Mako had to fire.

"Well that's good, now how do we take it out?" Ramirez asked as both he and Shepard took cover from the suppressive fire.

"We need heavy weapons."

"We don't have a whole lot of that. No one expected to be caught up in this scenario." Ramirez hollered over the noise of gunfire battering against their cover.

Shepard nodded with Ramirez's reasoning, but still felt he should have prepared. Alarms blared as gunfire, explosions, and cries of agony mixed in the air. Under the cover of the Mako, three platoons of mercs advanced. Unfortunately for them, they received a nasty surprised. Garm activated the IEDs, which were place in case this would have ever happened. With a push of a button forty-five men and women of the Blue Suns and Eclipse were incinerated along with the Mako.

The sound of gunfire evaporated as the defenders seemed to have finally gotten a breather. Shepard looked around, there were no more than twelve left standing out of the original sixty. Then the loud cheer of several Eclipse and Blue Suns mercs were heard, the noise demoralized the defenders.

"Mordin, how close are you to finalizing the cure?" Shepard asked on the team's private channel.

"_Maelon and I need about an hour more." _He answered.

"Mordin, we don't have an hour. We don't even have ten minutes!" Shepard practically yelled in the radio.

"_Understand, Shepard. Sending militia your way. Buy us as much time as you have, please." _Hearing the word come out of Mordin's mouth, Shepard understood the situation. Out of the clinic doors exited fifteen volunteers, most of them refugees and others were rival mercenaries that Maelon had helped. About a dozen LOKI mechs were also shipped to the frontlines.

"Prepare yourselves. We have more incoming." Garm yelled. Everyone retreated back to the final barrier, ready for a last stand.

"Whatever explosives you have, save them. They're going to send in their regulars first, then their more experienced soldiers. Pyros you in charge in stopping their charge," Garm said to three vorcha. "Snipers kill any squad leaders or field commanders. And grenadiers fire at will. Once you're down to one missile or grenade save it. I doubt they'll only bring one tank with them."

Seconds later as series of yells, followed by foot soldiers appeared on the battle field. Dozens of troopers charged the defenders line. Zaeed's mini-gun and several more gun emplacements mowed down several at a time. Once again the front of the clinic was absorbed in death, gunfire, and chaos.

Vorcha pryo troopers unleashed their flames, halting the mercs advance and incinerating many. The entrenched defenders continued to fire on the enemy and began to take back ground. Then a Blue Suns pryo, covered by several Blue Suns wielding riot shields appeared on the battlefield.

"Zaeed,…" Shepard began.

"Yea I know." Zaeed immediately targeted them, but it seemed to only knock back the troopers. "I can't get a good shot off."

"Allow me." Ramirez threw a frag grenade landing in front of riot shield wall. "Samara!"

Samara used her biotics to lift the shields leaving the mercs exposed. The frag grenade exploded causing the pryo's fuel tank to explode and engulf the rest in flames.

"That's what I like to see." Garm cheered.

Zaeed again went on the offensive, firing his mini-gun at the approaching mercs. The hail storm of bullets single-handily wiped out an entire platoon. However, the gun seemed to have enough carnage as it died down. "Bugger, the lady is out of bullets." Zaeed complained.

It seemed a company of mercs remained, but their numbers were too great for the defenders. The side wall of the battleground was blasted opened and a Mantis gunship appeared above their heads.

"We have a gunship!" Shepard yelled.

Ramirez saw a Guardian missile launcher on his right and reached for it. "Grenadiers focus fire on the gunship!" He ordered.

A series of missiles and grenades were launched at the Mantis as it rotated to bring its gun to bear. Once every explosive ordinance was exhausted, Ramirez fired the Guardian. Ramirez seemed to see the event in slow motion as the missile exited the launcher, leaving a smoking trail behind as it soared through the air at the gunship. The pilots were fearful as the rocket impacted just beneath the cockpit, piercing then expanding the metal as the missile detonated. The glass of the cockpit being shattered as the pilots were engulfed in flames, and then vaporized as the gunships exploded. It was reflected on Ramirez's visor as it spun in midair.

Unfortunately, for him the gunship twisted and separated into two parts. The front half, falling right on top of the mercs and the rear-half breaking off and launching itself towards the clinic.

"Fuck my life." Ramirez said once he saw the piece of debris launching itself in his direction. At the very last second he felt a momentum on his side as he knocked to the side, just as a small piece of debris landed on his face making his vision go black.


	18. Chapter 18 - Quaratine III

4-3-2184 0288 hours (Citadel standard time)

* * *

**Omega **

**Auxera District **

**Maelon's Clinic **

On an operating table, Ramirez laid on unconscious. The room's lights were turned off. Several diagrams of xenoscience anatomy hung on the walls of the gray room. On several medications lined the opened cabinet, which were rapidly depleting.

Suddenly he awoke, surprised and shocked. He looked around and took a moment to let his surroundings sink in. Immediately he felt an immense pain in his head. He grunted as he rubbed his head with his hand.

"You're up. That's good." He heard a voice call out.

Ramirez looked to his right to see Shepard approaching with his weapons and helmet in Shepard's hands. He handed them over to Ramirez, who took them graciously.

"What happened? And why does my head hurt?" He questioned as he put on his helmet.

"A piece of debris fell on your head and knocked you out cold." Shepard explained.

"Again?" He asked incredulously.

Shepard chuckled. "Yeah it seems you have bad luck with falling objects. If it wasn't for me a bigger piece would have landed on you."

"How big?"

"Big enough to squish you."

"Well I guess I owe you one."

"Buy me a beer and we'll call it even. Anyway get up we've got work to do." Shepard said.

"Barely up and already you're putting me to work?" He asked sarcastically.

"During your beauty sleep, Mordin and Maelon managed to finalize the cure. They've vaccinate everyone here so you don't have to worry about getting the virus. Now the real problem is, we have many wounded and many more dead." Shepard explained as he led Ramirez out of the room and through a long hallway towards a door at the far end. As they walked by, several rooms housed various soldiers and civilians, many of whom assisted Shepard in defense of the clinic.

"How many people do we have defending the clinic?"

Shepard sighed. "After the siege we have about thirteen able bodied personal who have suffered no injuries. Another seven who'll be up after a few stitches…and the rest well we're doing everything we can to minimize the pain."

As Shepard and Ramirez reached the door, Shepard opened the door to reveal a waiting room with Nyreen, Samara, and Zaeed waiting for their arrival.

"Well looks who's finally awake." Zaeed said, looking up from a magazine with crossed legs.

"Where's Mordin?" Ramirez asked looking around the room.

"Here."A voice said behind him. Ramirez looked behind to see Mordin gleefully holding a vial, behind him stood Maelon staring daggers into the back of his professor's head.

"Well now that you got the cure, I'm going need you to retake the environmental facility. It's the only way to cure the entire district." Maelon explained.

"And why would we do that?" Zaeed voiced his opinion only to be met with a punch from Nyreen and glares from everyone else.

"I was just asking, sheesh."

"Alright so we know what our destination is. Anyone wants to rest?" Shepard asked the group.

"We're all ready, Shepard." Nyreen said.

"Most of the district is still trapped. We're the last functioning hospital left. The Blue Suns and Eclipse suffered heavy losses in the last attack. With the losses in manpower and equipment it'll be days before they try something like that, maybe even weeks. That is more than enough time for you to get to recapture the environmental facility." Maelon explained.

"That's good news. It'll give us some breathing room." Shepard said.

"Be warned; whatever Blue Suns or Eclipse mercs remain they'll most likely converge on the facility to prevent your team from recapturing it."

"Wonderful." Ramirez muttered.

"Well we're burning daylight, so I'd say we get to it." Zaeed argued.

"Maelon, what can you tell us about the virus?"Shepard asked.

"It's advanced in design. Very few governments have the technology possible to manufacture such a complicated biological weapon. Only the Republics, Alliance, or the Union can create such a virus." Maelon explained.

"Or the Collectors." Shepard reasoned. "Can you tell us what the purpose of the virus is?"

"Purpose seems experimental in nature. Destroys respiratory systems with harmful genetic mutations," Maelon explained while rubbing his chin. "It seems to test viable mutation level in various species. Horrific for even the Union, but feasible for the Collectors. Prime target seems to be turians. Humans known to have diverse genetic background and krogans have impressive redundant system." He said. "Humans and Krogans can serve as a control group, find various results after exposure."

"But, why would the Collectors target my race specifically?" Nyreen asked.

Maelon shrugged his shoulders. "Turians possess the largest military in the galaxy. Collectors may seek to reduce the strength of any Citadel response." He reasoned.

Shepard nodded his head in thanks. Turning to his team, he said, "Let's head to the environmental plant."

When Shepard saw Mordin coming, he stopped. "Mordin, you're coming with us? "

Mordin nodded his head.

"Are you sure? I mean don't you want to stay here and help with the patients?"

The salarian professor shook his head. "Has to be, someone else might get it wrong."

"Well alright. Maelon, are you going to be okay without extra guns?" Shepard asked him.

"Yes of course. Garm is still standing and will make sure this clinic won't fall, however like I said before whatever personal the other mercs have it'll be concentrated to protect the environmental facility. I'll stay in contact over the comms. Now if you'll excuse me I have patients to attend to." Giving one last glare to Mordin, Maelon moved past his guests to tend to his patients.

"Let's move team." Shepard ordered.

A human merc working for Maelon led the team out of the clinic's other exit. "There aren't many civilians in this sector, but if you find any make sure they know how to get to the clinic."

"I'll make sure if we see any that they'll know to reach the clinic for safety." Shepard comforted the merc.

"Thank you."

Activating his personal channel, Shepard called out to his team. "Be on your guard. Eclipse and Blue Suns may have fortified their positions. We're on our own from now on."

Receiving answers in the affirmative, Shepard equipped his weapon, idly noting Ramirez was installing a suppressor on his MP12s. Slowly, the two teams stalked the district, Shepard and Ramirez in the lead. Several buildings lined the streets.

Eclipse and the Blue Suns had indeed taken this area of the slums. There were no signs of the Red Hand anywhere. It was long before they heard sounds of shouting coming from a hallway.

"Shepard, I see a three mercs and a civilian. Orders?" Nyreen asked in a hushed whisper. Due to the close proximity, the use of private channels was unnecessary An unfortunate civilian was held at gunpoint by three Blue Suns mercs. The sergeant appeared to be a few feet behind one of his subordinates, who was closest to the hostage. Another was stationed off to the left, merely observing the situation. His back to the team as they approached.

Shepard tagged the targets using his helmet and relayed his orders. "Nyreen, keep your crosshairs trained on the leader. Samara, I want you to lift the mercs if you can. Ramirez, as soon as I take the merc to the left I want you to neutralize the one aiming his weapon on the hostage. Are we clear?" He whispered to his team. A series of nods told Shepard they knew their part.

Silently, Shepard approached the merc. Once he was within reach, Shepard grabbed her in a human shield. Immediately Samara lifted the two remaining mercs and a burst from Nyreen's and Ramirez's weapons neutralized the helpless mercs. Shepard snapped the neck of the merc in his hands and approached the civilian, who had his hands raised in fear.

It was a human male in his late twenties by the look of him. He appeared to be of Asian descent. "Please, I have no money!" He cried out in fear.  
"Relax, we're not here to hurt you. There's a clinic not too far from here that's taking refugees. I suggest you make your way over there now."

"Thank you." The civilian immediately ran in the direction Shepard had indicated.

"Three down, several more to go." Zaeed said to the group. The gray architecture of the buildings lined the streets. Out of an alley way, a Blue Suns merc appeared dragging a civilian by the shirt. The poor salarian was dressed in a dark orange shirt with blue pants. A shot from Samara's Saber saw the merc go down.

"Thank you." Was all he said, before he entered a building. Presumably, his apartment .

"Mercs acting as death squads now?" Ramirez said, surprised the mercs had gone that low. "I expect this from Hegemony soldiers, but not these guys."

"And what makes you say that?" Zaeed asked him.

"Well its bad press." He answered.

"_Shepard, I've tapped into the mercenaries comms and it appears something has them nervous." _Maelon told him over the comms.

"Any idea what it might be?"

"_No, but it seems a company sized force is near you position. I'd be careful it seems they know you're coming."_

"Wonderful," Zaeed grunted, only to take cover once he saw three mercs approach. One of them had a shield and the other two took cover behind whatever they could. The team dived into cover that was available in the street. Mostly abandoned cars, vending machines, and a few disregarded mailing posts.

"I'm going to have to call you back, Maelon." Shepard said before hanging up. Even before he could get orders out, Samara lifted and then slammed the merc with the shield onto the side wall. Nyreen and Zaeed sniped his two remaining companions and a second later all three mercs laid dead on the street.

"Well that was excellent." Shepard said, shortly before a Blue Suns centurion arrived on the scene with a whole another squad.

Shepard threw a frag into the middle of the street, while the rest of the team fired on the mercs. Mordin neural shocked one of the troopers and then fired on him, depleting the merc's shields. Ramirez took advantage and firing his MX carbine managed to kill him. The frag grenade detonated killing two more mercs, leaving only two remaining. The Centurion and his subordinate tried to close in on Shepard. The Centurion's tough armor and shields allowed the turian to soak up more damage. However, a bullet from Zaeed's M100A managed to drop the shields halfway. A few more shots from Nyreen's Krysae and the Centurion was forced to back into cover. His compatriot wasn't as lucky as Samara delivered a precise shot into the eye-socket effectively killing him. Ramirez reloaded his rifle, the Centurion popped up and fired an accurate burst. The rounds impacted Ramirez's shields, before falling on the floor. It wasn't long before even more Blue Sun's mercs arrived.

"I thought Maelon said the Blue Suns and Eclipse didn't have any more troops to mount an attack." Zaeed complained, ducking behind fire to avoid suppressing fire.

"Mostly likely a delay to keep us from reaching the facility." Mordin reasoned. "Could be possible that the enemy is still fortifying the facility."

"Shepard, I have an idea." Ramirez called out.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I can get us some mobile cover." Ramirez said, eyeing the dropped shield the merc was carrying earlier.

"That's a bold move."

"We'll if you guys cover me. It might not be." Ramirez countered.

"Fine. Everyone reload, we're going to give Ramirez some cover." Nyreen and Zaeed switched from their snipers to their assault rifles. Samara and Mordin reloaded their weapons and waited for Shepard's command.

"Now!" The team sprang up from behind their cover and fired on the enemy. Ramirez sprinted out of cover and made a mad run for the shield. The suppressive fire only lasted for a few seconds before the mercs started firing on Ramirez. Luckily his shields held enough for him to reach the riot shield. He picked it up and immediately most of the damage was being absorbed by the shield. Ramirez fired his M5 Beta onto the enemy.

"Nyreen, Zaeed cover us." Shepard ordered, before he ran out of cover to join his teammate.

The team didn't argue as they fired on the enemy. Shepard equipped his shotgun and with Ramirez advanced on the enemy. They managed to kill three until the rounds started to make a noticeable dent to the shield.

"Ramirez, I don't think this shield is going to hold for much longer." Shepard argued.

"Me neither, any ideas?"

As if to answer his question, Samara lifted an old mailing post box and threw it towards the enemy. Seeing the projectile coming at them, several mercs ran out from cover. They didn't get far before the mailing post squished some of the mercs and the others were gunned downed.

After the team mopped up the rest of the mercenaries, there no signs of any Blue Suns or Eclipse anywhere. It seemed Mordin was right in his assumption, whatever mercenaries remained were concentrated on the facility plant. As they walked through the streets, Shepard heard a noise within one of the buildings.

"You guys hear that?" Shepard asked. Everyone stopped moving and tensed up, straining their senses to perceive any threats.

"Civilian. Sounds like he's in trouble." Ramirez announced after a minute.

"Follow my lead." Shepard whispered.

All six of them approached the door to the apartment to hear a man's voice, quivering in fear, pleading and reasoning with his captors. "Please…I'm telling you the truth. I was only trying to hide here."

"Combat radar says there are three inside," Shepard whispered. "Ramirez, you and me enter the room first. We'll try to talk them down. Samara, Nyreen. Stay at the door. If they try anything, bang and clear the room. Check your fire. We don't want to hit the hostage."

"We know you've been trying to steal from us. What, do you think we're stupid?" a human voice growled. Taking flanking positions at the door, Shepard stood ready on the left side of the door and gave a nod to Ramirez who readied himself on the other side. Nyreen stood behind Ramirez while Samara stood behind Shepard. Everyone equipped their pistols.

"No! I swear I'm telling the truth!" Please you have to believe me!" the batarian begged.

"Maybe we should cut off your hands and make sure you can never steal from us again." the human threaten before Shepard and Ramirez opened the door and sprung into action.

"Hands in the air! Don't move!" Shepard ordered.

The human on the right reached for his shotgun still collapsed on his back, but Shepard's warning shot placed between his feet stilled his hand. Ramirez was forced to place a similar shot on the human on the left as he tried to ready his pistol. The leader still held his pistol on the batarian.

"Don't even try," Ramirez growled.

"Drop the weapons!" Shepard ordered. "Do it now!"

The other two reached for the weapons slowly. The leader raised his pistol against the hostage's head. "Don't…"

"Shut up," Shepard ordered to the armed man. "You two. Just detach them and let them fall. If they start to open up, we'll take you down," he said keeping his pistol pointed at one while Ramirez held up the other.

The humans on the left and right side of the room glanced at each other nervously before pushing the guns off their harnesses, letting them fall to the floor, still in their compact state. The apparent leader was more desperate however and continued to hold his gun up. "Don't move! One more step and we kill your friend!"

Shepard and Ramirez immediately trained their weapons at the only armed human. "Pull that trigger and we'll put a pair of new holes in your head," Shepard threatened menacingly, his gun unwavering and his stance steady. "Let him go and you'll walk away."

The batarian prayed as he closed his eyes to the confrontation of his captors and saviors.

"You must think I'm stupid," the leader said with an edge of fear in his voice as his hands started to shake. "What's to stop you from killing us if we let him go?"

"Nothing," Shepard said bluntly. "Let him go and there's a chance you'll live. Kill him, I can guarantee you will die."

The human looked shocked and completely unsure of what to do. "I'll…I'll kill him!"

Shepard merely shrugged slightly, his masked face betraying nothing. "Then we start shooting and kill you and your friends. Seems standard on Omega. Think his life is worth yours or your two buddies? Either let him go and take chance or try and shoot him and my friend and I kill you. Do you even find anything that missing here?"

The batarian startd hyperventilating as the human leader considered his limited options. Eventually, he lowered the gun. "Okay…I'm letting him go."

"Drop the gun and step away from him," Ramirez ordered.

The human complied. "You go what you've wanted. Are we free to go?"

"We have a deal," Shepard calmly said as he lowered his weapon. Ramirez followed suit as Nyreen and Samara entered, their weapons in hand, but down.

The human looked shocked at the added numbers. Trying to play it down, he said "He's only a batarian. Don't see why you care about so much," he snorted as he walked by Shepard's team. His two friends following him, though not brave enough to show any emotion other than nervousness.

Zaeed and Ramirez kept their eyes on the batarians as they left, ensuring that the situation was still under control. Shepard approached the batarian as he tried to calm himself down.

"T-Thank you. I-I thought t-they were going to…to k-kill me," he said as he was looking at the floor and wringing his hands. Taking several deep breaths, he looked back up at his rescuers, slightly calmer. "I owe you my life, thank you I won't forget it human."

Shepard nodded. "There's a clinic not too far from here. The way there should be safe."

The batarian gave a rapid nod in return. "Yeah, okay. I'll go right away. Thanks again. I owe you…well everything."

"Is the environmental control plant near here?" Nyreen asked before the batarian had a chance to leave.

"Not too far. This is the last residential area before you get to the control plant. Just take the hallway over there," he directed, pointing in the indicated direction. "It'll lead to a lift that will take you right over there. Be careful though. There are a lot of mercenaries down that way."

After the batarian said thanks again, Shepard stepped up toward Ramirez for a sit-rep.

"All clear, Shepard," he reported.

"The elevator to the control center is ahead. Expect resistance," Shepard said to everyone. Readying his MX carbine over his M5-Beta pistol, Shepard walked slowly down the hall.

It didn't take long before the team reached the lifts. Shepard and his squad took one, while Ramirez and his team took another.

The squad slowly descended to the lower levels of the district via the elevator.

"_So anyone else thinking this is a trap?" _Ramirez asked over the radio.

"_Hopefully." _Was all Zaeed said.

"Samara, Nyreen. You two try to set up a biotic field. That will lower the risk of them easily neutralizing in these small elevators." Shepard ordered.

He received affirmatives from the two biotics and they got ready to as the elevator reached its destination.

The elevator opened up to reveal a hallway that wasn't too heavily guarded. A few shots from Nyreen's sniper rifle eliminated the two sentries at the end of the hallway who were responsible for guarding it.

Shepard took point and held his assault rifle ready as everyone followed him down the hall. "Hold it," he said. "Mercenaries up ahead."

"How many?" Ramirez asked from behind him.

"A lot," Shepard answered grimly.

Ramirez pulled up to Shepard to look around. There were at least a dozen Blue Suns and Eclipse mercenaries and from their vantage point, he couldn't tell if there were any Centurions or Commandos around. Worse yet, everyone were spread around the room. A glowing yellow sign at the far end of the room denoted the objective: District Environmental Control.

"Damn there too spread out. We're going to have to do this the old fashion way." He whispered to Shepard.

"We have no idea how many there are. We might end up fighting an army from here to the controls." Nyreen argued.

"I agree. We need to do some recon. Maybe arrange a distraction," Shepard said from the back.

"You sure about this?" Ramirez asked turning his back to look at Shepard.

"The plague is their best weapon. Once we get the cure in the air, they'll lose their footing. We'll get this district and take care of Omega after that. For now, we need to get these guys out of the way," Shepard responded.

"Alright. Nyreen, can you use your hunter drone to get us a birds eye view?" Ramirez asked her.

She nodded her head. "Drone, deployed," she said. The whizzing noise emitting from the drone was too low for the mercenaries to hear. From her omni-tool, Nyreen guided the drone to a high altitude high enough to prevent the drone from being heard or seen.

Nyreen sent the feed to everyone on the team. Inside of Shepard's helmet, a screen appeared on the upper right corner. He, along with the rest of the team, saw what the drone saw. About thirty mercs were busy either patrolling or setting up fortifications.

"Mordin, hand me a sensor." Shepard ordered. A second later he had a grenade in his hands. He stealthily peered over the corner and threw the grenade. On Shepard's radar, several more mercs were tagged that the drone had missed.

"Biotics are the biggest threats. Take them out first. Second are any snipers around and the rest we take them down like we always do." He said.

"That's it? That's your plan?" Ramirez criticized.

"You have a better plan?" Shepard countered.

Peering over the edge, Ramirez tried looking for anything that could give him an idea. He looked around, but couldn't find anything until he looked at the fans. Looking back at Shepard he explained.

"What about smoke grenades? We have a good number of them. Maybe we can obscure the area and using the thermal vision on our helmets we can get the surprise on them." He said.

Shepard thought it over and nodded his head. "Not bad, Ramirez. But what about Samara and Mordin? They don't have helmets."

From the inside of his helmet, Ramirez bit his lip, trying to figure something out. "What if they stayed back? Mordin has the cure and the only medic we have so we can't risk him getting shot. And Samara can create a biotic barrier around them to protect them from incoming fire or just cover Mordin until we clear the area."

Once again Shepard agreed with Ramirez's assessment. "Perfect. Everyone get ready," he said. Shepard threw a few smoke grenades, given to him by Mordin and a few frag grenades as well.

Less than a second later, several explosions echoed across the mercenaries' fortifications. Confused yells of surprise and outrage crossed the room back to Shepard's positions as he made his move. Sounds of gunfire followed the explosions as Shepard and his team rained bullets on the disoriented mercenaries.

Several Centurions and Commandos yelled in challenge and called for their troops to kill Shepard and his team. However, the cloud of smoke had risen so bad, one couldn't see past a few meters. Seizing the opportunity, Zaeed sniped several exposed mercs while Ramirez and Shepard took the lead. Nyreen covered the team's two flanks, preventing any chance from being suppressed.

The square became a battleground, bright streaks of light flashing between the two forces. With such heavy smoke clouding the area, numbers didn't mean a thing which was a good thing for Shepard.

He let out a short burst from his rifle, killing a Blue Suns trooper. Ramirez and Nyreen quickly opened fire on four enemy biotics, taking care not to hit any of the machinery. The smarter mercs took cover and waited for the smoke to clear, instead of firing blindly.

"_Shepard, enemy on both sides_!" Nyreen declared as she took cover.

"Ramirez! Frag the right! I'll hit the left!" Shepard called out as he threw a grenade down the left side of the square, scattering several troopers. Turning, he saw Nyreen pinned down by enemy fire. Turning his rifle, he immediately started to suppress her attackers to give her a chance to break cover and fire back.

Nyreen leapt at the chance and used her Wrap on a Centurion. The armor was broken through and the unfortunate victim screamed as his body was destroyed by the biotic attack.

"_Night, night!" _Nyreen taunted as she focused her rifle on the opponents firing on a catwalk above them. She took cover and guided her drone, until it was just above the mercenaries firing on them. The noise emitted from the drone was drowned out from the gunfire. She detonated the drone and killed several enemy soldiers and caused the catwalk to come loose and collapse.

Shepard ran toward the center console, catching an Eclipse vanguard with a headshot. "I'm moving up! Watch my back!"

Zaeed focused on Shepard and immediately targeted anyone who decided on firing upon Shepard. Luckily his helmet protected his ears from the constant loud _boom _of the sniper rifle firing repeatedly.

A group of mercenaries stood in the middle, firing effectively on the team. Summoning on her biotics, Nyreen deployed another Warp and curved it down behind the cover and into the hidden mercenaries. An Eclipse tech operative screamed as the attack struck him and fell from cover. The armor held though and the merc started to shake his head, trying to clear the pain. He immediately got back up and fired on Nyreen. The merc failed to realize Shepard, who fired and drained the shields on the merc.

The merc's allies sprang from cover and suppressed Shepard and delivered an Overlord attack on Ramirez.

"_Shields are down! I'm argh…"_

Shepard turned to see Ramirez collapse onto the ground, blood flowing from his body and staining the floor. "RAMIREZ!" he yelled. He looked around to see the one responsible for the shot. He kept scanning until he saw them.

Behind the lines of battle, three distinctly different figures stepped into view. There was no mistaking the flattened heads, angular joints, and the spined rifles. No mistaking the glowing yellow eyes.

The sight hit Shepard like a battering ram and understanding flashed through his neurons. The Collectors were here…and in center was a creature that looked like a human-turian hybrid.

The creature had the crest and head figure of a turian with glowing red and yellow eyes. The creature had two rows of jagging sharp teeth. The body looked like that of a human with five fingers on each hand, but with two large razor-sharp blades sticking out from the creature's forearms.

The sight was terrifying, but Shepard didn't let it faze him and if it wasn't for his fast reflexes he would've been a goner. The remaining mercenaries regrouped around the Collectors, who joined in on the battle.

Nyreen and Zaeed, who were dragging a wounded Ramirez, slowly rejoined Shepard at the front firing on the last remaining mercenaries. Zaeed fired his M100A at two Eclipse vanguards, killing them and eliminating any remaining biotics the mercenaries had.

Shepard ducked behind one of the pillars lining the room. "Zaeed give him medi-gel!" He ordered, referring to Ramirez whose blood left a trail.

"Shepard, I'm alright…it's just…a flesh wound," Ramirez said sounding groggy. Shepard was worried, his friend had lost a good amount of blood, but he didn't seem as bad as Shepard expected him to be. In fact he sounded as if he had just gotten up from sleeping.

"Samara, Mordin. We need your help now!" Shepard yelled into the radio.

The Collectors, lead by the hybrid creature, advanced on Shepard's position. Three Eclipse and two Blue Suns mercenaries were all that were left. Fortunately for him, three mercenaries were lifted into the air and two were incinerated. Zaeed fired a controlled bursts from his assault rifle and killed them.

Samara threw Reave attacks, which were powerful enough to force the Collectors into taking cover. The hybrid creature leaped into cover, as if suggesting it knew how to fight. Surprisingly it gave orders to the Collectors in hisses, and seemed to direct the field of battle. It shocked Shepard that it could not only fight, but lead.

Two Collector Assassins, however made the mistake of staying clustered. Seeing this Samara and Nyreen both channeled a dual Shockwave. They let it build inside of them before they let unleashed it. The immensely strong biotic attack caused the area they were in to shake and even a few pillars fell by the immense force. The Collectors were thrown back, one being impaled by a steel rod, the other was severely injured.

"Mordin, take care of Ramirez and hand me the cure!" Shepard ordered. Mordin stiffened for a moment, before realizing Shepard was better armored than him and right now he needed to insure Ramirez was stable. He handed Shepard the vial, which contained the cure for the virus.

"Shepard, wait," Ramirez said through gritted teeth as he tried to stand up, Shepard caught sight of the wound. The round entered through his rib cage, presumably hitting a bone. He laid a hand on Ramirez's shoulders pushing him down and kneeled beside him.

Ramirez handed his MP12s to Shepard. "You're going to…need this…fuck this stings!" Ramirez said holding his rib cage. Shepard exchanged his M-35 shotgun for the submachine gun.

Before Shepard could dash out from cover, Ramirez said "I guess it's your turn to make a suicide run huh?"

Shepard shook his head in amazement. '_Even wounded he's still sarcastic. I need to have him stop spending so much time with Joker.'_

"Cover me! I'm going to inject the cure!" Shepard said as he raced for the console. The two remaining Collectors attempted to fire on the exposed human, but suppressive fire and biotics exploding near their cover prompted them to hide again.

He managed to reach the console pretty much unscathed, the terminal was still surprisingly intact from the firefight. Inserting the vial into a slot at the control panel, Shepard began typing furiously, studiously ignoring bullets raining down around him.

'_Come on, come on…'_

Various symbols, words, and lights began appearing around Shepard as he worked quickly as he could. After a few intense minutes filled with explosions and gunfire, all the systems stated that they were on standby as Shepard finished re-initializing the environmental controls. "Done!"

Behind him, Shepard heard footsteps. He ducked and leaped to the side and not a moment too soon. Almost immediately the space he had occupied had been stabbed as the hybrid creature de-cloaked, his claws embedded into the console. Shepard opened fired on the hybrid with his assault rifle, however the creature's shield's were strong and it merely turned around and swung its claws in an arc at Shepard. He ducked, the claws missing him by a thread as he continued firing.

The creature slashed the weapon from Shepard's hand, who then tackled it hard and knocked it onto the floor. Shepard delivered a punch to the creature's face and fired several rounds from his pistol right into the creature's hand. The creature attempted to stab Shepard with its free hand, however Shepard grabbed it and elbowed the creature in the face. The creature retaliated by kneeing Shepard in the gut, knocking him back. The creature recovered quickly and stomped on Shepard, making him cry out in pain. As the creature stood ready to end Shepard's life, a large boom hit the creature in the face draining its shields. The hybrid was momentarily stunned and Shepard took advantage by reaching for the submachine gun on his back and fired the entire clip straight into the creature's face. It screeched in pain and another loud shot from Zaeed's sniper rifle erupted in the air, killing it.

Shepard looked up and saw the two remaining Collectors firing on his team. Shepard got up, grabbed his assault rifle near-by and fired on the nearest Collector. Mordin Neural shocked the wounded Collector and Shepard and Nyreen targeted it, effectively killing it.

The sole remaining Collector trained its eyes on Shepard and began convulsing like it was having a seizure. Suddenly the Collector became inflamed and it spoke to Shepard.

"**Enjoy your victory, human. Short-lived as it will be."** The flaming Collector said as it used its wings to elevate into the air. "**Your time will come,**" It warned before throwing a powerful unknown biotic attack directly at Shepard. Shepard dove into cover as the attack detonated on the floor, leaving a massive crater behind. When Shepard looked up, he was the Collector had vanished.

Shepard immediately ran to his team and saw Mordin giving medical attention to Ramirez.

"So what was all that about and what the hell was that thing?" Zaeed asked, pointing his finger to the dead hybrid.

Shepard sighed as he sat next to Ramirez, his back leaning against the wall. "I don't know and right now I don't care. Once we're done here, we'll take the body back to the labs and see what we can figure out," he said.

* * *

**Omega **

**Auxera District **

**Maelon's Clinic **

The band of heroes stepped tiredly back into the clinic. After a frantic run back through the Blue Suns and Eclipse controlled district, they all looked a little worse for wear. Various burn marks and dent lined their armor when shields failed or were breached.

Zaeed and Ramirez had taken off their helmets when they arrived, the rest opted to keep his armor sealed until they left Omega and were decontaminated.

The people inside the clinic that were healthy or strong enough started clapping and cheering for the small group as they entered. Taking their praise in stride, Shepard headed for the rooms in the back to speak with Maelon. Ramirez was left inside a room where Mordin and several other doctors performed surgical operations, much to his dismay. However, he had little choice in the matter. Samara decided to mediate and was left alone, while Nyreen and Zaeed decided to have a drink with Garm in celebration.

Shepard past several civilians he had rescued, who thanked him before entering a room Maelon was in.

"Environmental systems engaged. Airborne viral levels dropping. Patients improving. Blue Suns and Eclipse retreating." Maelon listed off as he checked his terminal. He turned away from it and spared a quick glance at Shepard as he calmly walked by. "I'll have it admit, you did a job well done. I thank you," he praised before running his omni-tool on a patient.

"So what will happen to the district?" Shepard asked.

"Likely to be repopulated, now that the virus has been cured and the mercenaries have been pushed back," Maelon replied.

"What about the Red Hand and Blood pack?" Shepard questioned.

"Red Hand is well-tolerated in this district. Have a role as a policemen in the area. As for the Blood pack it is most likely they'll either try to take territory from Eclipse or the Blue Suns, since they have lost countless personal and equipment taking this station. Red Hand will also be looking for retribution. After a while new allegiances will be made and new battle lines drawn."

"Wow, well good luck with that," Shepard said as he reached out and shook hands with the salarian scientist. "I hope our paths cross again, Professor."

"I hope not," Maelon said, shaking Shepard's hand.


	19. Chapter 19 - Operation Stiletto I

**A/N: Hello my fellow readers, I know I've been gone for a while, however that is because my computer s broken. Now that it's fix you can expect faster updates. However I also have good news, in the months during my computer's repair, me and a few talented writers have been writing a new story. I won't spoil the details, but if you liked my stories thus far, then you are going love this one. You can expect a teaser real soon! ;)**

* * *

4-14- 2184 0500 hours (Citadel standard time)

**Blue jay shuttle **

**Troop Transport **

**Anhur **

The Blue jay shuttle buzzed through the cold reaches of space, proceeding on course towards the blue and green planet as it quickly began filling the field of view. The craft was painted white and yellow, Cerberus colors, and it had the organizations logo on the hull. This shuttle relied on weaponry rather than electronic countermeasures to insure the occupants reached their destination. Such an addition would require more time for testing before retrofitting any of the rest of the shuttles, but the current situation at the moment was ideal for the prototype Blue jay with its current range of operations. If things went well, then the pilot wouldn't need to use any of the shuttle's weapons. The constant fighting on the planet would allow the shuttle to reach its destination undisturbed; the explosions and AA fire camouflaging the shuttle from any operating sensors. Though categorized as a combat mission, it would be a regular one like many of Kai Leng's past operations, a quick infil and exfil with minimal contact with the enemy. It was simple enough by Cerberus standards: Eliminate any Broker agents operating in the area and fracture the local Hegemony-sponsored slavers. Simple enough.

The garden world of Anhur, named after the Egyptian god of war, began to find itself host to the Blue jay infringing upon its borders. Quickly, the front of the craft began to heat up as the friction from the reentry began to sear the metal, turning it red hot. Once the shuttle had passed through that initial border, the racing wind cooled the smoking craft and it proceeded on its way through the towering clouds.

A low layer of stratus clouds obscured the ground, but a few spires of black mountains rose along the horizon, puncturing the white layer. Even at night, the silhouette of the mountains slashed through the sky. The Blue jay raced on through, seemingly intent on a specific point on the planet.

Passing only a mile from the side of a particularly tall mountain, the Blue jay thrusters fired and the craft began to slow. Angling downward, the shuttle started passing through the low handing clouds, the instruments on the shuttle doing all the navigating. A few minutes of complete visual blindness occurred, itself not a reason to worry because a visual point of reference was no longer necessary as the shuttle's radar and HUD informed the pilot of the flight plan, surroundings, and distance from its designated landing.

With little fanfare, the bottom of the craft burst through the clouds and the landscape was revealed. The mountainous terrain was rocky and blackened, steam rose from vents halfway up the summit. There were a few places where heat was escaping into the air from the ground as denoted by the wavy distortion from differing temperatures. Obvious signs of volcanic activity.

A few miles west, the green edges of lush grasslands suddenly stood out, fueled by the fertile soil in the area. The canopy of tall grass covered the rolling hills that were not in the way of the many lava flows that had permeated the area recently. The howls and cries of animals echoed through the empty wasteland, birds could be seen flying in the air from tree to tree. It looked to be a very healthily place. However looks could be deceiving; on this very planet approximately three kilometers north laid the city of Thia with a population of 400,000 people. Yet the very same city was also being destroyed as a result of a chaotic civil war. Both sides acting as proxies for a greater war.

Home to one of the ugliest violations of sapient rights in modern history Anhur became a battleground and a dark stain to Council space, showing that batarian presence and influence was still strong. The Freedom Fighters, a group of abolitionist activists, were fighting against the Hegemony backed Na'hesit slavers. Both groups sought to gain control of the planet causing a world war across multiple continents. Of course assisting the locals was merely a secondary objective. Cerberus' main goal is to capture any Broker cells operating in the area and bring them in for questioning.

The Blue jay found a patch of soft, sandy ground in the middle of the valley and gently set down upon it, well away from any rocks that could jab at the shuttle's undercarriage. The thrusters quieted; the craft becoming a big white and yellow dot against the black background. With nothing but the wind creating noise, the low valley carried the sound of the shuttle door opening far and away, letting it last before the surrounding silence swallowed it up.

Gingerly, Kai Leng stepped out of the shuttle, boots sinking into the black green-colored grass. He surveyed the landscape for a minute breathing in the rich air, before gesturing to the other person inside, a clear indication for them to follow. Once the all-clear was given, Randall Enzo joined him on the ground, both starting to trudge up a slope, weapons out and ready as they left imprints on upon the ground. Randall carried the standard ARC5 assault rifle with grenade launcher under barrel, a 4x magnification ACOG scope, and a suppressor. For close quarters he packed a M35 shotgun and a Beta pistol. Unlike Randall, Kai Leng carried two Locust SMGs, hand blasters, and his deadly katana for any personal encounters.

Randall looked down at his omni-tool briefly as he opened it up. "Intel confirms locals have seen humans and batarians wearing white armor with two grouped boomerangs in the middle of their armor. They have to be Broker agents," he informed Kai Leng as the Cerberus assassin hefted the Locust he carried in his hands.

"Let's move we have a job to do," Kai said, getting straight to the point.

Randall silently agreed as they maneuvered across a large boulder. The sight of two of them being together would not really be considered normal for anyone, but the job required two soldiers and they were the best Cerberus had to offer. The duo did not utter a word to each other until they crested the hill. Smoke rose from a hole in the ground a couple of meters to their left, itself reeking of sulfur. The atmosphere was entirely breathable to humans, however the operatives decided it best to wear helmets for this operation.

Kai craned his neck and took a few deep breaths, not winded from the short hike, but careful to conserve energy all the same. He was not planning to stay long on this planet therefore he wanted to minimize any opportunity for resource consumption. Unlike his partner, Kai was not experienced in long duration operations. Being a biotic meant Kai had to travel light as well as consume more calories.

Randall looked in the other direction with his binoculars while Kai gazed at a rocky cliff. A quick tap on his shoulder caused Kai to turn his head to the left.

"There!" His partner said, pointing with his finger to the general area.

Taking the binoculars from his partner's hands, Kai looked where Randall was pointing, taking a step forward. The hill they were on provided an excellent vantage point, giving the Cerberus operatives an undistributed view of the area. Approximately 500 meters south of Thia, a military convoy carrying red and white soldiers, was heading towards the city. The dust thrown by the vehicles wheels would have masked their signatures, but it did nothing to protect them from magnetic vision.

"We have our destination. Most likely there'll be more in the city," Kai said.  
Randall glanced at his omni-tool once more, the orange glow dancing across his visor before replying. "It's going to be a long hike, but with the fighting going on no one will see us coming."

"Considering we have a possible mole it's likely they know we're already coming," Kai shot back, stepping over a jagged piece of a rock. The ground was coated with dead leaves from trees that had fallen from their high perch. Colorful fungi sprung up between the clutters, rising up to claim the title of the tallest. Bushes and ferns grew substantially in between the tall trunks of the huge trees, masking the ground.

The howls of unseen animals echoed through the night. Add that to the rustling of the wind, the grassland seemed far from silent. As the agents marched through, they made sure to watch their footing, being cautious of any mines.

Several bugs buzzed around the duo. They persistent on trying to find exposed skin from where to suck blood from, but they had no such luck. Kai and Randall continued walking over the uneven terrain at a slow pace to avoid any possible detection. As they got closer to the city limits, the sound of artillery fire increased in loudness and in frequency.

It took less than half an hour for the duo to reach their goal. Kai was able to see clear ahead as loud noises of small arms and heavy weapons fire increased in noise level. Spread throughout the entrance to the city were roughly a dozen individuals, most of them wearing some kind of red and white armor. Dispersed were a number of Mako transports, their blueprints most likely stolen by Batarian spies. A few tanks were also in the area, perhaps to show strength and dissuade anyone from attacking.

The mercenaries seemed to be deeply engrossed in a conversation and, while Randall and Kai couldn't make out the words, it looked like their attention was relatively relaxed at the moment. Two varren were chained as sentries and they growled for food, while a third slept in the dirt and the mud.

As Randall's eyes wandered, they eventually became fixated on six individuals, all human females, on their knees in the middle of the field. They were garbed differently than the red and white-suited mercenaries, and clearly in a position of submission which denoted that they were prisoners. Or slaves.

The mercenaries were shooting their guns in the air in a show of victory and Kai nudged Randall in the arm, causing him to look where his partner was indicating. Over the near edge of the city entrance laid a small pile of what were unmistakably bodies, obviously executed given by the general tone of the gathering.

"Looks like they're executing their prisoners. It'll provide a distraction for us to slip inside," Kai said calmly unfazed by the situation.

Randall on the other hand though differently. "Cerberus Command, this is operative Enzo. I have six civilians captured by batarians, permission to engage?" He asked.

Kai grabbed Randall by the armor and vehemently whispered into his air "What in the hell are you thinking? This people are done for and we can't do anything to help them."

"They're going to kill those humans! If you won't do anything then I will." Randall protested.

"You're willing to compromise this mission for the sake of civilians?" Kai questioned.

"Like you said, chances are they already know we are coming." Randall countered. Before they could continue their banter, they were interrupted by a voice in both their helmets.

"_This is Cerberus command to Operative Randall. If necessary engage batarians, but do not compromise mission. I repeat, locating Broker agents is number one priority," _A Cerberus comm. officer responded. Judging by the voice, it was a woman.

"Copy that, command," Randall replied.

Before the Cerberus soldiers could take any action, the batarians suddenly quieted as if a blanket of silence had been thrown over the scene. Instantly Kai and Randall froze, noting that the mood of the mercenary crew had been dampened as if they dreaded something occurring in the next five seconds. Only the sounds of constant weapons being fired within the city were the source of any noise.

Suddenly a figure emerged from behind one of the armored Makos, their gait long and purposeful. Instantly, Randall and Kai could tell that this person was different. For one, their armor was all black, matte, and professionally sculpted in such a manner that left the specific species ambiguous. The boots could fit a human, turian, or even a salarian or perhaps even a drell. This person was certainly tall enough to qualify for any of them. The figure's hands were clasped behind their back, making it difficult for the Cerberus soldiers to identify any key features.

The individual had a cloak around on top of the impressive armor, giving it a slightly regal appearance. The cloak flapped slightly in the cool air, the smallest breath of wind causing it to flutter at the lightest touch. But the key feature of the individual of the person was the helmet. Unlike regular Broker operative helmets, the one the figure possessed was colored pale white. It seemed to posses two parts; the one that covered the jaw, had a gas mask placed and appeared to be slightly coned shaped. The mask continued to rise until it touched where the nose should be located and barely touched a ghostly covering that was placed on top of it, obscuring the figure's face. Gray eyes blazing with an uncontrollable fury shot through the openings of the mask scanning the surroundings before deciding to approach a batarian, who seemed to have been marked by his group as the spokesperson.

"Is this all of them?" The newcomer said, its voice giving an indication of boredom.

"Yes, Operative Lunis," the batarian said, careful to keep all four eyes on the ground. "The Mantis made a quick pass over the immediate area. Six humans in total."

The piercing gray eyes did not blink as Lunis took his time to emit his reply. The batarian began subtly shifting from one foot to the next, obviously uncomfortable. The ghost-like helmet slowly turned, clearly seeing the pile of bodies at the edge of the forest, not even twenty meters from where the Cerberus soldiers were hiding.

"There were eleven initially," Lunis said casually, a deep distorting noise was easily heard as he spoke. "I do hope you checked the four you have rotting in that pile over there before you killed them?"

"I…I…uh"

"I'm going to assume that your stuttering indicates a clear 'no', then. But I am still lacking an answer from my first question." Lunis said calmly.

The batarian gulped before calming down a little. "They…um…their blood samples were all negative…sir."

Randall and Kai looked at each other, both thinking of the same question: _what are they talking about?_ If the Shadow Broker was conducting experiments on humans, then this was certainly news Cerberus command should be informed of.

"Very well," Lunis nodded slowly. "And what of the eleventh?"

If the batarian's heat rate had slowed down at all, it had shot right back up again. "Well... you see..."

"_Where is the body?"_ Lunis' voice had gone dangerously quiet in an exasperated tone, but because of the stillness of the area Randall and Kai could hear the exchange just fine.

With a shaking finger, the batarian pointed behind him, towards a scattered region of trees. "It's… it's back that way…"

Lunis took a step closer, but the batarian stood his ground. It wasn't like he had any choice, the four-eyed alien was paralyzed with fear. "Judging by your intense reaction, I doubt I'll enjoy the news very much but for the sake of a proper accounting, I'll let you tell me the overall result."

"It wasn't my fault! The others…they couldn't control the varrens… they just ripped the female human to pieces before we could stop them. It wasn't my-"

"The human did she test positive or negative?" Lunis asked, not really concern with the batarian's excuse.

"I… I…"

"Positive or negative?" Lunis repeated again, allowing a large amount of distaste to creep into his tone.

The batarian's own mouth opened, but no noise escaped from it. Finally, he took a breath and closed his eyes for a few seconds before addressing Lunis in an oddly calm tone. "Um… positive?"

Lunis' hand whirled down to his holster, equipping a revolver-like pistol within a second.

_BOOM! _ A lone shot echoed through the air as the batarian in front of Lunis began making strangled noises as his throat began to dribble blood, staining his armor. The top half of his head was completely torn to chunks of meat, only the lower jaw remained on top of the neck. As the nearly headless body toppled to the ground, Lunis holstered his pistol.

"I should hardly need to remind all of you," Lunis began, letting his careful and meticulous tone linger, "That I have a stainless record, a record mind you, that won't be jeopardized by a squad of worthless slavers! Unlike the rest of you parasites I have a mission, a mission that I intent to complete. I have explained to all of you that I have a quota to fill, an assignment that is beyond your capacity to understand and if you constantly kill the subjects that check positive for the mutation, then my quota will never be get filled."

Lunis was slowly turning in place, making sure to fixate each and every soldier with his gray eyes. "If you wish to behave like animals, then I will treat you like animals. My employer wants these humans for his own reasons, which I neither know nor care. If he becomes unsatisfied, then I become unsatisfied." He pointed at the body leaking blood from the neck. "It's very simple, you kill anyone that tests positive then I kill you. If you assist me in succeeding in my objective, then all of you will benefit greatly. If any of you cause delays in my operation, then I delay your life _permanently."_

One of the humans kneeling down the line whimpered and Lunis strode over to her, pistol still in hand. Randall's breathing was labored as he continued to watch while Kai kept a stoic expression on his face.

Lunis kneeled down to the cowed man for a few seconds, analyzing them like they were property before standing back up. "What about these humans? What were they're results?" he spoke out loud in the direction of the trees.

Nobody spoke, aside from a scattered bunch of hesitant murmurs and stammered words the air was completely silent. Impatient, Lunis whirled around and aimed his pistol at the nearest batarian, his finger dangerously close on the trigger.

"Are you going to speak or do I have to start killing all of you one by one until I get an answer?" Lunis appeared to be more annoyed than angry, possibly due to the incompetence of his workers.

"Neg-negative!" the batarian squeaked rather quickly, but Lunis appeared to have caught the batarian's answer. "They were all n-negative, sir!" To show his loyalty and respect the batarian gave a salute once he gave his answer, hoping he wouldn't be the next to die.

Lunis quickly drew back his pistol, satisfied with an answer. "Now was that so hard?"

The batarian stared at him, unsure if Lunis would start killing all the mercs right then and there. In an instant, Lunis turned around again lowering his pistol at the first prisoner and fired at point blank range. A series of shouts escaped from the other women, seeing their fellow prisoner executed like an animal. The woman fell to the ground, a huge chunk of her head missing as brain matter stain the grass. The batarians stood around silently, still deathly afraid of Lunis and unsure of what to expect next. A few prisoners began begging for mercy and crying hysterically, but Lunis just ignored them.

"Son of a _bitch," _Randall growled, his fists tearing through the soil on the ground. "Kai, we have to do something. These mercs aren't going to take prisoners."

"Command has give-"

"Command told us our priorities are finding the Brokers' agents, well here is one. I'd say we show a little initiative and take this one with us. At the very least, he'll know something about what is going on here."

Kai stood silent for a moment, thinking the situation over in his head. While Lunis almost certainly was an agent of the Broker, Kai still didn't know if there were possibly anymore in the city or on the planet. Given their time restraint, Kai was inclined to agree with Randall, but at the same time wanted to gather as much intel as possible. Not having any other alternative, Kai reluctantly agreed.

"Fine, but if things to side-ways it's all on you," Kai warned.

Randall nodded before speaking. "Come on, let's see if we can circle around back and approach them from behind."

"Lead the way," Kai acknowledged, still wary and reluctant at the actions they were about to take. Quietly, they began pushing through the bushes careful not to arouse any suspicion.

Back on the field, Lunis holstered his pistol as the remaining hostages began shaking in the wake of their demise. "_Now _you may kill them," he said nonchalantly, pointing to the fresh corpse lying on the ground. "Just make sure to check them before hand. I don't want another valuable hostage to be so carelessly dispatched by your incompetence. Am I understood?"

All batarians gave a nodded quickly, fearing any hesitation would result in bullet to the head. "Good. I'm glad this presentation has made you aware of being more careful with the subjects and please act like professionals." He then gestured to the five living hostages still kneeling on the grass. "Since my presence here was ultimately wasted, should I even our discrepancies as well? Surely these humans would make poor slaves. I mean look at them, they are obviously not suited for manual labor."

Another batarian chose this moment to pipe up. "But… they can fetch a price back in the cities. I'm sure there would be some interested buyers."

"Yes, but you see you've disposed the only valuable commodity in the area to me so why not do the same to you? Between your consistent abuse and acts of what you brutes call entertainment, you wouldn't see a single credit going into your pockets. So why don't I save us all the trouble here and now?" Lunis said, hands close to his pistol.

"Sir… I-"

The batarian was cut short, a single shot ringing through the air and piercing through the alien's neck. The head exploded in yellow paste, showering the nearby Mako. Lunis stood nearby, oddly calm and unconcerned with the batarians predicament.

Calmly, he grabbed a nearby batarian and used him as a human shield, a second shot impacting the merc's torso. Lunis let the body drop and began firing his pistol in the direction of the shots. Near him, the other batarians responded with fire as well. A grenade was thrown, most likely from the unknown soldier, directly at Lunis' feet. Instead of scrambling for cover, Lunis merely eyed it before kicking it with his foot, the grenade detonating a few feet away from him and directly behind another batarian mercenary. Lunis was utterly astounded by how stupid his subordinates were, not bothering to realize their surroundings.

Randall, positioned behind a stack of cages, blinked at the calmness and uncaring nature of the Broker agent. Firing short controlled bursts, he watched the remaining mercenaries scrambling for cover.

Lunis merely stared at the mercenaries' stupidity before giving them orders. "It's just one soldier, you idiots. Kill him!" he shouted.

Suddenly, the nearest Mako inexplicably exploded, engulfing two batarians in a cloud of flames. Metal rained down on the small field, the red hot pieces starting small fires in the area. Running through the edge of the forest, Kai had little time to admire the effect of his work, trying to reach the hostages before he was spotted.

Randall picked off two more enemies from his cover, before a heat sink was ejected. The batarians had wised up at this point, starting to spray his cover with bullets and forcing him to crouch down. With the amount of suppressive fire Randall was receiving, he switched to his ARC5's grenade launcher. Leaning from cover he fired the weapon, a smoke trail exiting the weapon before detonating once the ground hit a target. A mercenary screamed as his legs were torn off, having been caught out in the open. Randall fired another grenade, hoping to reduce the enemy combat effectiveness. It seemed to work as the batarians seemed to become more cautious. He continued firing short controlled bursts, careful to make every round count.

Lunis spotted the source of the incoming fire, noting the discipline and precision that this opponent wielded. His enemy's skill was leagues ahead of the incompetent mercs he was forced to work with. To prove his point correct, Lunis continued firing at the Randall's cover with the intention of keeping him suppressed, however a batarian rose up to get a better position and walked straight into Lunis' line of fire. Expectantly, the merc was killed with a round to the back of his head causing Lunis to roll his eyes at the mercs' idiocy.

'_Idiot,' _Lunis scowled, continuing to press his finger on the trigger. _'The Broker does not pay me well enough to force me into working with these idiots.'_

Soon, Lunis' own weapon ejected a heat sink, but he didn't switch. Rather, he expertly holstered the weapon with one hand while taking an assault rifle with the other all in the matter of a second. The Broker agent continued his relentless assault, two operatives from opposing organizations fighting it out in a battle for the ages.

Operating out of pure instinct, Randall dove into another set of cover, hoping to get a better position. Lunis didn't get a shot on the operative, but his eyes were able to get a good glimpse of the logo on his opponent's chest.

"Cerberus," Lunis muttered much to his amusement, crates being chipped away at the result of the agent's continuous fire. "Now this is interesting." He allowed himself to smile before static electricity sparked erratically around him. It was then Lunis realized that he was being shot at. His shields were being bombarded with a continuous assault, before snapping and dropping. Before he could continue firing or take cover, Lunis felt hot piercing pain erupt from his shoulder as he saw a katana pierce through his armor from the edge of his eyes.

"I must admit, I did… not expect that," Lunis managed to say, seeing all of his mercenaries laid dead and the hostages being freed. He had to hand it to the two operatives, they were professionals unlike the idiots he was forced to work with. Quickly, Kai pulled his katana from Lunis' shoulder, causing him to groan in pain. "But I fear time has worked against you." Lunis began laughing, much to the confusion of Kai and Randall.

A loud _whip _zoomed by Randall's helmet, indicating the presence of a near miss. But Randall kneeled and fired in the direction of the shot, while Kai took Lunis as a hostage. Appearing out of the shadows was a group of soldiers, all of them wearing the batarians SIU logo on their armor.

"I would let me go. My partners aren't known for patience or mercy," Lunis said, a smirk evident in his tone.

"Or we can kill you right now and save us the trouble later," Kai responded.

Lunis burst out laughing, a katana blade still close to his neck's armor. "If your mission was to terminate me, you would have done so by now. No, you need me alive if your hesitation to kill me is anything to go on."

"Unfortunately for you, Lunis, the Broker cannot let that happen," one of the SIU operatives said, causing Lunis to narrow his eyes.

"You wouldn't dare!" he growled

"Nothing personal," the SIU operative raised his weapon to fire, but was stop by Randall throwing a grenade.

"GET BACK!" the batarian yelled to this team, getting into cover as the grenade exploded. Once clear, he saw the two Cerberus operatives retreating with an angry Lunis. "Don't let them retreat!" he yelled, firing at his former partner and now current target.

Running into the jungle, Lunis felt his right arm had suddenly gone numb. Clutching his limb, he roared in pain as his right glove came off bloody caused by a ragged cut to the side of his arm. It was then that he realized that a high-velocity round had pierced his shield effortlessly, cutting through his armor and flesh.

"He's wounded," Kai said, taking cover behind a tree. A squad of SIU operatives closes behind.

"Come on get up," Randall growled. Firing his weapon, he managed to suppress the two closest enemy soldiers.

"N-never mind my injury," Lunis winced as his arm throbbed. "We've got to find a place to hide right now!" Equipping his pistol, he fired off multiple shots with impressive accuracy, killing three batarian SIUs. Lunis mentally vowed revenge on his former employer and his unknown allies.

Watching the disappearing form of Lunis retreating into the jungle, the SIU squad leader gave a disappointed sigh. He heard heavy breathing erupt from behind him, turning around angrily to see a wounded batarian merc on his knees. "Report. Now!"

"Sir, Lunis executed our leader before two elite soldiers ambushed us and freed the human females. Sergeant Haesh, do we continue chasing them?"

Haesh shook his head. "No." It was the last word the merc would ever hear before Haesh fired a bullet into his head. As his squad regrouped, Haesh opened a comm-link with the Shadow Broker.

"Have you any updates on Lunis' progress?" the Broker asked in a heavy and disguised voice.

"I regret to inform you that Lunis has betrayed us. Seems he is working with two Cerberus agents. They've retreated into the jungle."

"WHAT!" the Broker roared.

"Orders, sir?"

"Pursuit at this moment is a futile effort. Return to base. I will not let this treachery go unpunished." The Broker then cut the link, unaware that a Council Spectre was in the area and conspiring against Lunis.

"Has the message been delivered?" A purple skin asari spectre asked, clad in black armor.

"Yes, Vasir. Lunis is a dead man."

"Good, one less curious operative that we have to deal with. Now load up in the Makos. We have a long way to go." As the batarians began loading up on the Makos, Vasir marched to the lead transport and climbed on board. Within minutes, she felt the Mako rumble and begin moving with the other transports following dutifully. Satisfied with the results of the day she took out a holo-pad and tried once again in vain to decrypt it.

"So, Lunis," she whispered to herself, making sure no one else heard her. "What is it you've uncovered on the Broker?"

* * *

**Pupai Forest **

**Anhur **

"Well I'd say the situation is FUBAR!" Randall growled, binoculars in hand and keeping an eye out for any pursers. Having the enemy be both aware of their presence and having more questions than answers, Randall was far from pleased. Thankfully it seemed the enemy had no intention of pursing them, perhaps realizing that the trio would be coming towards them. The trio was not too far deep into the jungle, however being elite operatives, they ran in a zig-zag fashion rather than a straight line. The enemy might have suspected this would have been the case, instead of searching all night and risk being killed one by one, they wisely took the armored transports back to whatever fortified base they had in the area.

"So any reason why your partners would want you dead?" Kai asked the Broker agent.

Lunis shrugged his shoulders. "I have a lot of enemies, who knows which ones have tracked me here."

"Well now that we have you, you're going to tell us everything you know about the Broker and what it is your doing here," Randall told him.

"I suppose it would be a fair trade, information in exchange for not putting a bullet in my head," Lunis mocked.

"You fuckin-" Randall began, walking over to the Broker agent with the intent of smashing his brains and attitude.

"Enough," Kai said calmly, stepping in between both men. "Right now we have bigger problems."

Randall snorted before stepping back. Kai turned his attention to Lunis, hoping he would cooperate. "The way I see it, you're going to want revenge, but since you're wounded, I highly doubt you'll be able to pull it off alone. You need our help and we need yours."

Lunis eyed Kai for a minute before mentally agreeing with him. Activating his omni-tool, Lunis brought up a holographic display of a well fortified base. "Parno, the Broker's base in the planet," Lunis explained. "I was commissioned with studying the effects of herbs and concoctions on the humans mind. From what I know, the Broker was interested in serums that could make a subject more… responsive to his commands."

"More like brainwashed," Randall growled.

"We can argue semantics later, but if you are interested in assaulting the base then we will need an army," Lunis responded.

"And where are we going to get one?" Randall questioned.

"Well the Raloi navy is scheduled to arrive within three days, but I imagine you'll want to be out of here by then?" Lunis questioned, smiling at the skepticism on the Cerberus operative's face. "Well," he continued. "Luckily for us gentleman, I have contacts within the Freedom Fighters that may be happy to assist us."

"And how did you managed that?" This time it was Kai's turn to ask.

"Simple, I sold them arms, armor, medical supplies, food, etc. How else do you think they've lasted this long?"

"You sold arms to the enemy?" Randall was shocked, but he didn't know if it was at their sheer luck or the agent's lack of loyalty.

"More like to both sides," Lunis clarified, clearly proud of his work.

"Well we have an army, now how about a plan?"

"Relax, the best time to attack would be at night. Most of the guards would be drunk by then and it'll give us the best chances of succeeding."

"Knowing you, wouldn't the SIU make sure tonight everyone was alert and be ready at a moment's notice?" Kai asked.

"Which is why we'll be attacking tomorrow night," Lunis said, getting slightly annoyed at the operatives' questions. Seeing the reluctant faces on the Cerberus operatives, Lunis tried reassuring them. "Look it'll give me time to get a hold of my contacts and inform them of the situation. Plus by not attacking today, they'll think we'd attack once the Raloi arrive. Tomorrow night would be the best time to attack."

Randall sighed, before kneeling on the ground. "Now how about a plan?"

Lunis laughed before getting into more specific details. Maybe, just maybe, they might actually pull this off.


End file.
